


World's end

by Kamen_rider_Dimension



Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night - All Media Types, Kamen Rider - All Media Types, Kamen Rider Decade, Kamen Rider Zi-O
Genre: Emotional Baggage, Gen, Kaito is Dead, Post-Kamen Rider Zi-O, Ritsuka is Diend, Sougou retains his powers, grieving Tsukasa
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:47:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 36,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23494795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kamen_rider_Dimension/pseuds/Kamen_rider_Dimension
Summary: As the apocalypse draws ever closer, a new power will be born. With the strength of over one hundred heroes, a failure of a master must overcome the world's strongest; the future of humanity lies in the hands of Kamen rider Diend, Gudako Fujimaru. The Grand Order has begun, a new history is born with one key word: "Henshin!"
Kudos: 6





	1. Diend is near

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Fanfiction.net in early 2019. A reworking of a previous story. Now with greater stakes, greater battles and greater grammatical accuracy. Female Ritsuka is referred to as Gudako due to male Ritsuka's existence.

The feeling of something licking her cheek caused Gudako to gently stir, barely able to muster the strength to knock the offender away. Her memory was fuzzy as she tried to open her eyes; what had he been doing? How did she end up in such a helpless situation?

All that the orange-haired girl could remember was… very little. Cold, intense cold, followed by a warm face and then – then an angry face. A cheerful conversation, followed by flames, flames, intense pain, bleeding. The sounds of screams, of shattering surroundings ending the lives of the less fortunate.

A grimace came to her lips as she focused on the gentle words that were being spoken in her direction, finally mustering the power to open her eyes and see…

More flames. Everywhere she looked, fire and destruction plagued the city they were in. not a single soul could be found, at least, not a single soul that remained alive. Amidst shattered roads and half-melted street posts, all that could be found was herself and the lilac haired girl she had first met… at Chaldea. Yes, Chaldea Security Organisation, dedicated to the survival of mankind, and if Gudako's memory served her right… then sabotage had meant the destiny of humanity had been thrown into chaos.

"Thank goodness you're awake Senpai!" the lilac haired girl spoke, lavender eyes looking over Gudako's body with joyful relief. Mashu, that was how she had introduced herself – Mashu Kyrielight. No longer was she wearing the outfit she first had; the rectangular frame glasses, a grey hoodie over a black shirt over a white-collar shirt, a red tie, a black skirt and tights and brown shoes. Instead, she had opted for a more… interesting choice of attire, a tight black dress-like bodysuit clinging to Mashu's curves along with gloves and boots of a similar colour, a hole exposing her stomach to the elements.

Under normal circumstances, that would already be considered strange enough, especially considering that Gudako was still clad in the black and white attire of Chaldea, but the giant gleaming shield Mashu held in her offhand was simply icing on the cake. The thing had to be at least double their size, yet from the lack of strain upon her face, Mashu held no issue in wielding it. "Thank goodness you're safe, I was worried when you didn't wake up. My apologies; I had thought to say 'wake up or you'll be killed', but it accidentally came out as 'wake up or I'll kill you.' Everything's happened so quickly that it's left me confused slightly."

"Don't worry, all's good! Hopefully. Ouchie…" Gudako muttered as she rose to her feet, dusting off her clothes. Her steps were sluggish as she tried to regain her bearings, gazing at the utterly obliterated scenery that surrounded them. If it were not so marred with fire and explosions, then it was probably a pretty nice city to live in; as it were, only demons could ever hope to thrive in the place. "Where even are we? Last thing I remember, we were right in the middle of Chaldea."

"I'm uncertain, but we don't have time to gather our thoughts; please look over here Senpai!" Mashu warned, brandishing her shield. If that wasn't enough warning, a shiver ran down Gudako's spine as she heard the inhumane screech behind her, the orange-haired girl spinning around to see what could only be described as a monster.

Its eyes glowed in the dark with a mysterious navy colour, its face shrouded in shadow thanks to the tattered fabric that wrapped around its upper body. From what little was revealed of the monster's arm however, Gudako was pretty sure that only the vilest of magecraft allowed for such a horrific existence. "Linguistic communication impossible – identifying entity as hostile. Master, give me your orders!"

Master… the term was still unfamiliar to Gudako. When she had awoken in Chaldea, she had to be reminded of the reason why she was there; to preserve the safety of humanity's future, she would have to take on the role of Master to what were called 'heroic spirits' or 'Servants', the souls of legendary beings who remained famous throughout the history of the world. There had only been few occasions where Gudako had ever been called Master and the fact that it was Mashu who was calling her that, a girl who, last time that Gudako checked, was not actually a heroic spirit, made the whole scenario even weirder. Still, there was no time to be thinking about such things; hostiles were approaching and the only one who had any form of armament was Mashu – that made her the closest thing to a Servant that they could hope for.

"Right! Master Mode, on!" Gudako declared, scanning the battlefield. Even without the experience on the field or in magecraft that the others elected as Master candidates had, there was one thing that the girl prided herself on – the ability to comprehend and adapt. It had gotten her through several tough situations and this would just be one more story to tell. "There are several of them from all directions, the ones to the northeast will most likely attack first from their positioning. Get ready to defend and counter."

"Understood!" and just as declared, two of the creatures leapt forward with crooked blades, their hoods falling back to reveal a completely bare skeleton. Despite the lack of muscles, Gudako didn't need to feel the strike to understand just how heavily they hit, yet Mashu didn't hesitate for a moment. While the main round body was perfect for deflecting their attacks, the giant cross that appeared upon it also extended out far lower, meaning it was almost like a blade as Mashu spun the shield, leaving only shattered bones.

"Behind, single!" the way Mashu moved should not have been as elegant as she immediately manoeuvred the sword behind her, blocking the steel before another spin had the head completely removed. A pair more attempted to attack her from both sides, yet a heeled boot prevented the one on her left from striking before a tackle completely obliterated its partner, a firm stab shattering its chest. Thank goodness they were skeletal, for Gudako would've hated to see what such a devastating attack could've done to flesh. "Three more approaching, no, five – they're numbers are growing way too fast!"

Gudako felt despair grip her heart; for every one they managed to cut down, it looked as if several more monsters were ready to take their place and even with the surprising skill that Mashu demonstrated, it was clear that the lilac haired girl was tiring. Still, Mashu didn't let that stop her as she viciously struck a pair, their skeletal bodies remaining upon the shield as a rugby tackle knocked down several of their companions. As it was, however, there were far too many for a single person to care for alone, sweat dripping down Gudako's brow.

A Master would normally be able to assist their Servant with a manner of different spells, an almost endless variety of skills that would change the tides of battle if their Servant proved to be insufficient. However, Gudako lacked the training and expertise of her fellow Masters; unlike they who researched and trained so hard to develop their magecraft, she had nothing of the sort to speak of and the mystic codes woven into the very uniform she wore remained a mystery to Gudako. As she was now, all she could do was watch in fear as the skeletons suddenly started to gain the advantage, not even Mashu's sizable shield able to block every single attack and try to cull their numbers.

"Think, Gudako, think! There has to be something around here to help...!" there had to be something that could constitute a weapon, right? Even if it were something as mundane as a broken piece of metal, it would still be able to form a distraction that would allow Mashu to regain her advantage. With a small prayer of thanks for how the monsters had yet to take notice of her, the orange-haired girl began sneaking around the area, desperately clawing at whatever she could find. Useless pieces of wood were chucked away without hesitation, a grunt escaped Gudako as she realised the broken street pole would be too cumbersome for a reasonable weapon; it seemed as if there was nothing that would save them.

At least until she came across a gruesome sight.

* * *

The mangled corpse that might've once looked like a Japanese man almost made Gudako want to vomit, but that wasn't what she was focused on at the moment. No, while it was incredibly rude to mess with the deceased and take their property, she would just have to momentarily buck her morality and take the weapon sitting next to him, probably the last defence the man had before he ended up a victim to whatever chaotic force ended his life.

It didn't seem like a conventional pistol, what with its light blue, black and yellow colouration with silver forming a strange symbol on the side and a seemingly needless sliding handle that extended out the barrel, but one pull of the trigger was all that Gudako needed to show that it was certainly effective.

A blast of cyan energy disintegrated a nearby skeleton's skull, its allies slowly turning their heads to see the orange-haired girl widen her stance. Gun training had not been supplied – not when those who practised magecraft looked down so much on the modern technologies, but Gudako knew enough from the odd movie that she watched to understand some of the basics. A few more pulls of the trigger had the skeletons steadily falling, their dying companions quickly realising how much of a threat she posed as they all suddenly began clamouring to reach the Master.

Before they could, however, they found Mashu's shield slicing through their spines, the assault on two fronts steadily dwindling their numbers until nought but one remained. With a shared glance, Mashu raised her shield as Gudako aimed her gun, the two strikes hitting in perfect sync so that not even dust remained.

"Combat complete. It appears we're safe for the moment." Mashu stated before her form gradually slouched over, the shield making for the perfect support as the lilac haired girl panted. For good reason to. After such a chaotic event, being greeted by such a sizable army of skeletons was not the way to carry on. The least that Gudako could do was rummage through her uniform, pulling out the sweets with a thankful grin and pouring a few into the girl's hands. It was a spare stash for emergencies, but never had Gudako expected that they would be used in this kind of scenario. "Thank you, Senpai. Are you hurt in any way? Does your stomach feel heavy, or any headache?"

"Nope, everything's good." Gudako eventually responded, patting herself down. Nope, didn't seem like anything was missing and nothing felt wrong until she gasped, Mashu's eyes widening. "Ah! Kidneys, I've got new kidneys!"

"What!?"

"Hehe, just kidding!" it was a weak attempt in the completely wrong situation, but the small smile that appeared on her junior's face after her surprise when she did so was enough to prove to Gudako that it was worth it. "Everything's fine, but…I had to take this gun from a guy who didn't make it. I mean, if it weren't for it, then we would've been toast, but still…"

"You made the right choice Senpai." Came the reassurance, Mashu gently resting her hand upon Gudako's shoulder. "Your assistance was vital, we might not have survived without it. Holding on to that weapon is our best choice; we should return to where you found it and see if there is any additional ammunition for safety.

 _"Finally, broke through! To whoever is in a position to respond, this is the Chaldea command room! Does anyone read!?"_ a fevered voice called out from seemingly nowhere. It was one they immediately recognised – Dr Romani Archaman, the head of the medical ward of Chaldea. He had been the friendly slacker that Gudako had coincidentally ran into after he tried to have a snack in what would become Gudako's room; the fact that he was the one who was operating the communications didn't bode well for the situation back at home, Gudako wincing slightly at the man's tone. Fortunately, she had Mashu to do all of the formal stuff.

"Mashu Kyrielight of A-Team reading. Rayshift to singularity F successful; my sole companion is Gudako Fujimaru, with mind and body intact." Mashu listed off. "Both rayshift compatibility and Master compatibility is at satisfactory levels; please register Gudako as an official researcher Dr Roman."

 _"So Gudako managed to get herself sucked into the rayshift? It's fortunate that you didn't lose your existence you know."_ Dr Roman sighed, no doubt slumping in his chair. _"Also, Mashu. I'm glad that you've come out of this safe too, but… what on earth are you wearing!? It's practically scandalous, I never raised you to wear such a revealing outfit!?"_

"T-the standard Chaldea uniform would've have been efficient for protecting Senpai. It was required for me to transform into this state." Mashu stuttered, a light blush decorating her face as she spoke. Oh, so long as she did understand just how odd it was, that was fine then. Mashu's expression suddenly turned stern as she continued, a firm frown appearing upon her lips. "Please, check my condition details. That will explain the situation at hand." 

_"Your status details? But why…? Whoa. Whoa, whoa, WHOA!"_ Gudako didn't like the sound of that one bit, even the sound of fingers going mad on a keyboard audible through whatever it was that allowed the Doctor to communicate with them. _"Everything's gone crazy – magical circuits, physical strength, even general health, they've all improved massively! That shouldn't be possible for a human to achieve, these are the kinds of levels you'd expect to see in-!"_

_"Indeed, I've managed to become a Servant." As soon as those words escaped Mashu, Gudako's eyes immediately fell to the back of her hand and at the symbols that had been etched onto the skin. Indeed, they were aglow with pure power, pulsing even brighter when they came close to Mashu; well that certainly explained why she was able to summon such a strange outfit and fight with all the skill that she did. That was something that was only ever meant to occur close to the one bound by a contract to Gudako, but that couldn't be possible, not when there had been no time to form such a connection._

"I could not explain how I managed to do such a thing, but it appears that I've managed to fuse with a heroic spirit to survive. From my knowledge, the Servant summoned to assist investigations into Singularity F, who would be doomed to disappear after losing their Master, allowed me to form a contract with them in return for finding and eliminating the cause of this singularity." 

A demi-Servant, a combination of human and heroic spirit that should not have ever come about through normal means. It left both Dr Roman and Gudako searching for words, a moment of silence within the burning world. 

_"If I recall correctly, then the fusion between human and heroic spirit, the formation of a demi-Servant… that was Chaldea's sixth experiment. I never would've thought it possible to succeed."_ Dr Roman commented. Concern tinged his voice, the Dr most likely trying to take down as many notes as possible; this could be considered a once in a lifetime event, after all, that was how highly improbable such an experiment succeeding was. _"Tell me, does this Servant still hold their consciousness?"_

"No. I hold only their combat capabilities and noble phantasm. I don't even know the true name of the heroic spirit nor their noble phantasm before they disappeared." Mashu answered with a grimace. That would be an issue. A noble phantasm was the peak of a Servant's power an ability or weapon that represented all that they were as a famous character that could only invoke its full power when its name was invoked. Without the ability to invoke that name, then the power that Mashu would be able to call upon significantly decreased. 

_"Well don't worry about that for now. After all, not every heroic spirit is co-operative. With you acting as a Servant, then we have nothing to worry about."_ Dr Roman quickly suggested with a small chuckle before a strange scanning noise filled the air. _"…It's just as I thought. Gudako, looks like you're the only one who managed to make it into the singularity safely. In the name of Chaldea, I apologise; without any explanation, you've been thrown into this mess."_

"It's not that bad. After all, thanks to this thing, I was able to help Mashu!" Gudako said, holding up her strange-looking gun. It was as she did so that she took notice of the strange inscription in silver upon the body of the weapon, the orange-haired girl drawing it in close to her face with her tongue sticking out. "Diend… Without this, the Mashu would've been overwhelmed. So long as I can keep being helpful like this, then I won't feel too bad about it. It is weird though, it doesn't seem to have any way to reload and no matter how much I fire it, there doesn't seem to be a limit on how many bullets I can fire. All the body had on him was a whole bunch of these cards." 

She accentuated it with several shots in the air, far more than any contemporary pistol should've been able to produce without a visible magazine. The fact that they were formed of energy might've made a difference, but that still meant the distinct lack of energy source was concerning. The cards themselves didn't appear to be much at all, pink little slips with a wide variety of faces on their fronts and symbols on the back. The only thing that connected them was that they all appeared to be suits of armour, though what purpose they held seemed like a mystery until she slipped one into the side slot of the weapon and pulled the handle forward. 

**_KAMEN RIDE!_ **

"Oh, so that's what the slidey thing is for," Gudako remarked as Mashu suddenly held up her shield, the announcement out of nowhere causing the demi-Servant to leap into a defensive stance. As the rhythmic beeping continued, however, her form slacked slightly, though Mashu's eyes continued to move back and forth warily – there was no telling just who would be attracted to the loud noises. "So… What am I meant to do now? Pull the trigger again?" 

**_DIEND!_ **

Three silhouettes of red, blue and green started to fly to and fro, Gudako letting out a small yelp as she tried to avoid the flashing colours. No matter how much Mashu tried to stop them, however, they simply phased through her shield, combining upon the orange-haired girl's form to change into a cyan and black suit of armour with a barcode for a visor and chest plate. Gudako couldn't find any words for a moment as she gave a sound of confusion, running her hands along the silver belt and the newly armoured gloves that covered her hands before succinctly summing up her emotions in a single utterance. 

"EHHH!?" 

_"Punching power: six tonnes. Kicking power: eight tonnes. Maximum jump height: 30 metres. Maximum running speed: 100 metres in five seconds… This isn't just a suit of armour, but something akin to an entirely new mystic code!"_ Dr Roman remarked after a moment's scanning, just as shocked as Gudako was at her instantaneous transformation. There were no mirrors to be had in all of the wreckage that made up Singularity F, but the reflections in Mashu's shield were more than enough to show Gudako's armoured form to herself and the Master wasn't sure how to react one bit. _"And that weapon! Its internal structure utilises a Klein's bottle structure to generate near unlimited amounts of kinetic energy for use as projectiles, it's something that should've only been possible using magecraft! This will be a major assistance seeing as Master are typically the ones targeted when in fights, you'll be able to properly defend yourself independently from Mashu! Such an incredible weapon combined with humanity's strongest defender, you'll get that singularity sorted in no time."_

"Humanity's strongest defender? I don't feel so sure whenever I deserve that." Mashu uttered with a blush, hiding behind the sturdy steel of her shield. "I always had to stay behind when it came to combat classes. I fear I'll have to rely on Senpai a little more than a Servant should have to." 

_"Regardless, you two have the means in which to solve this singularity, that much can't be denied. I'm still halfway through data analysis, but there's an official link between Master and Servant."_ Gudako perked up in alarm when she heard the static intermittent between Dr Roman's words, a sigh escaping the Doctor as the sound of an abused keyboard became even louder. _"Sorry you two, I'd like to explain more, but it appears as if Shiva's becoming unstable due to the move to a backup generator. The briefing will have to wait until later – I'm detecting strong signals indicating a ley line two kilometres from your current position. Move towards that position if possible and I should theoretically be able to stabilise the connection. I'll bring the connection back as well as I can, but don't do anything reckle-"_

"…Oh, he got cut off." Gudako lamented, turning to her partner as she pulled back the handle of the gun. Slipping the card out of the slot caused the transformation to fade away back into the original silhouettes, Gudako patting herself down before letting out a cheer of relief. "I'm back to normal! Okay, so we've just got to find a ley line, right? …So what's a ley line again?" 

"A ley-line is a location where a high concentration of magical energy can be found; if there is one nearby, then we'll be able to fortify ourselves and establish appropriate connections." Mashu dutifully replied before she frowned, looking around the city with a sense of uncertainty. "However, the Doctor never told us where the ley line was… how typical of Dr Romani, he always proves himself to be unreliable when things become crucial. 

"Fou, fou!" came the barked agreement, a white creature leaping onto Mashu's head and standing proud. The four-legged cross between a squirrel and a puppy was unlike any pet that Gudako had ever born witness to before, but its ridiculously fluffy appearance meant that as soon as she first came across Fou, he was nearly hugged to death by the orange-haired girl. "Fou… Fou!" 

"Ah, Fou, you also made it here with us," Mashu commented, a bright smile appearing upon her face. Even in the worst of times, where hope seemed lost and humanity's future became clear, the sight of the cute cuddly Fou would always be able to bring a smile with his cute appearance and friendly demeanour. "Thank you for cheering us up. He must've rayshifted with you Senpai." 

Fou gave another bark of agreement before hopping off the lilac hair, sniffing the air momentarily before noisily running off down a destroyed road, Gudako calling out to the white-haired creature. There was just no stopping him, however, Gudako turning back to Mashu. 

_"We've got to follow him Mashu! Operation 'don't let Fou get hurt' has commenced! CHARGE!"_

__

"U-understood! Moving out!" 

* * *

The Fuyuki that history recorded was an unremarkable city by itself. Under normal circumstances, there should've been no way for the city to have ever reached such a horrific state in the year two thousand and four, even having been the location for a Holy Grail war. The air felt unnatural, apparently as a result of the increased magical energy density, a level unseen since ancient years where man still stood alongside gods. 

"Wow Mashu, how can you even tell that? Is there some sort of sensor in you or something?" Gudako questioned, prodding her junior in the chest with a small grin. It brought an uncertain stutter to Mashu's lips, the demi-Servant almost stumbling over the shattered road as she floundered for an answer. "I never really was good with history… or geography… or quite a few subjects." 

"I've been in Chaldea for a large majority of my life. To be useful, I learnt as much as possible, seeing as I'm not - or wasn't - suited for direct combat." Mashu explained, hoping to cheer up Gudako whose head hung slightly lower at the thought of her education. "My newfound abilities as a Servant also makes me more sensitive to the spiritual changes that normal humans wouldn't be able to tell." 

The little lesson was interrupted by an incredibly feminine cry for help in the distance, the two barely even needing to look at one another before they were dashing as fast as possible towards the origin. The doctor may have claimed that there was no one else who had managed to survive the rayshift into the singularity, but his faulty equipment meant there was just as much of a likelihood that someone else had managed to survive. 

"W-who are these guys anyway? Why do these things keep happening to me?" What they were met with was Fou standing before a white-haired woman dressed in a pale dress beneath a black and orange jacket, said woman nervously wracking her hands around the red cravat she wore as more skeletons steadily advanced upon her position. They weren't fools; there was no way that Fou alone would ever be able to intimidate a child, let alone undead creatures who only thought of inflicting pain, Gudako aiming her gun towards the closest skeleton. "I can't take this anymore! Lev, come save me!" 

"Director Marie! Mashu, I'll take the skeletons on the left, you take the right!" Gudako yelled out, already firing into the crowd as the Director let out a squeal of fear. With a nod of acknowledgement, the demi-Servant leapt forward with a battle cry, far longer than should've been possible so she could crush several of the creatures beneath the weight of her shield. 

While she may not have had the manoeuvrability that her Servant commanded, Gudako was no slouch either, shooting down anything that came close until the Director's shocked cry caused the orange-haired girl to kick her foot back. it was a little awkward when the kick did quite literally nothing save for allowing the skeleton to grab hold and tilt Gudako off balance, but when her shocked reflexes meant that a blast incinerated its head, Gudako gave a small sigh. "I'm okay!" 

"Y-you two! What's even going on here!?" the Director called out, clinging onto Fou for dear life. From the pitiful whine that escaped the animal's throat, it wasn't exactly something that he was enjoying. "Mashu has never demonstrated this much compatibility for combat! The only way for her to so quickly become skilled is impossible! And why are you referring to me as just Marie? Even in this situation, it's Olga Marie! No, Director Animusphere!" 

"Don't ask questions and you won't receive weird answers!" Came back the response yelled by Gudako, the girl grappling with one of the skeletons before a solid shot blew off its legs. Without the necessary support, the crumbled to the ground, the orange-haired girl free to bombard it with bullets. As a grin appeared on her face, the Master reached into the small holder that had been found on the mangled man's body opening it up to draw out a card once more, unaware that it was not the same as the one she had before. "Just sit back Director and let me show you something really amazing! A super armoured transformation!" 

_**_KAMEN RIDE: WOZ!_ ** _

"Rejoice! The reader of the past and future, the prophet who will scribe the true timeline." The three silhouettes shot out of the gun as they had done so before, a firm smirk making its way onto Gudako's mouth as she prepared for the transformation. The voice suddenly calling out along with how the silhouettes rarely seemed to touch her however caused the orange-haired girl to pause, looking to a second spot atop a ruined building where the silhouettes were crossing more frequently. 

In a flash of light, they formed an armoured warrior of silver, black and green. Upon his helmet, two clock hands formed antenna upon a smartwatch for a face, the bands trailing don his body until they reached a green belt holding a black machine securely in place. 

A visor that read 'rider' in blue turned towards them, amusement clear within the man's voice as he threw his arm out wide, revealing the green holders that held strange watch like items. 

"...And his name is Kamen rider Woz. Let this be the first page of a new history!" 

_**ZIKAN DESPEAR!** _

_**YARI-SUGI!** _

"W-Woz? Who's Woz?" Gudako questioned as the armoured man leapt off his platform, a spear appearing in his hands that easily pierced through a pair of skeletons. Not even a hot knife through butter – it was like lava through butter, the ease in which the man who called himself a Kamen rider cut through his opponents at speeds even faster than Mashu was capable of. 

Marie's eyes widened beyond comprehension as she saw the lance effortlessly slide through spines and chop bones into pieces, only a single skeleton left after such a deadly dance. None of the girls could tear their eyes away; not with the sheer skill that had just been demonstrated before them. 

"…So Woz is a super good fighter. Nice to know. New question: How did he come out of a gun!?" was the next thing Gudako said. 

_**BEYOND THE TIME!** _

"Now, for the sake of these dear ladies, why don't we end this?" Kamen rider Woz declared, pulling back the handle of his belt to reveal a reversed face before firmly pushing it back into place. As the centre image of the man's helmet began to flash, several holograms shot out at incredible speed, each one slamming into the final skeleton as they barrelled past to form a spinning cube. 

The skeleton, without a functional brain, was not intelligent enough to realise what was about to come next; with a firm leap, Kamen rider Woz stuck his leg out, Gudako and Mashu forming a protective shield before Olga against the tornado whipped up by spinning symbols. Those symbols were what provided the explosion as soon as the Kamen rider's boot met bone, the skeleton flying back already falling to pieces. The moment it entered the rotating cube, however, green electricity began to run rampage through its body, miniature explosions gathering into a dramatic finale that Mashu had to use her shield to defend against. 

_**TIME EXPLOSION!** _

"You summoned a Servant, without any of the necessary set up or ritual components…" Olga Marie refused to believe it true. It was impossible; the miracle that allowed a magus to summon a Servant from the Throne of Heroes was one that could only be achieved under incredibly specific circumstances. The requirements to do so were so meticulous that even the slightest deviation from the required set up would result in absolute failure. To just so casually call upon a heroic spirit was near blasphemy, and when the one to do it was a mere civilian who barely knew a single spell…! "What did you summon then, a Lancer? No, he called himself a Rider before, but I've never heard of a Rider Servant who would be able to do such a weird attack. This shouldn't be possible, just like how Mashu successfully managing to fuse with a Servant after so many failures should be!" 

Breathe Director, breathe," Gudako said gently, what was meant to be a reassuring hand upon her shoulder. It was quickly thrown off, the white-haired woman preparing herself for another tirade before a small cough drew their attention towards the Kamen Rider, Woz holding up a gear covered book as he flicked through the pages. 

"There is only one man I truly serve and you are not him, though I suppose assisting in this one fight isn't too much of a bother," Woz remarked, letting out a small sound of approval as he found whatever page he desired. "As it is written in this book, average citizen Gudako Fujimaru has embarked on a path which leads her to become the greatest Master of all time, Kamen rider Diend. After having been forcible rayshifted due to sabotage at Chaldea, she finds that her new acquaintance Mashu Kyrielight has taken on the form of Servant Shielder, discovering her new powers and meeting the Director Olga Marie Asmleit Animusphere along the way. Then, they would come to find the ley line and call upon the assistance of… Ah, I suppose it would be unwise to read so far into the future." 

"The future? You claim you can actually see into the future?" Mashu spoke up in amazement, Kamen rider Woz giving a small nod before he pulled the lever of his belt back, withdrawing the strange watch that sat upon it as a flash of green energy removed the armour from existence. Beneath the futuristic-looking protection sat a set of clothes that looked more suited for the apocalypse, a swamp green long coat with a skirt like flare and a grey hooded scarf. "I suppose that would be your noble phantasm then." 

"While I may call myself a Rider, I'm not the same as the Servants you understand; it would be wise to keep that in mind." The black-haired man stated, leaning back against the scorched grass on the incline as he read his book, looking like he was lounging at the beach despite the ruin that surrounded them. "However, I suppose it would not be unreasonable to consider the Oma Advent Calendar as such a thing with the power that it holds. Considering it chronicles the history of the one I have pledged my allegiance to, your calling to me must've altered it to read your own history, or to this form of you, your future. This advent Calendar has been written in the year two thousand and sixty-eight; all of your work towards the preservation of humanity and beyond is detailed within this book." 

"Ooh, let me read it then!" Gudako cried, leaping for the book only to fall flat upon her face when Woz moved his hand slightly back, the orange-haired girl spitting out the burnt grass that was stuck between her teeth with a grimace. "Hey, no fair! I want to know what happens, the way you said that made it sound like something really big's gonna happen to me!" 

"Indeed, which is precisely why I cannot allow you to glimpse these pages." The prophet explained, looking to his hand as tinges of green, red and blue appeared upon his hand, slowly spreading along the rest of his body. "Besides, it appears my time here is coming to an end and your Director appears to want a discussion with you. I shall leave you with this declaration. Rejoice! The one to inherit all Servant powers, the lone surviving Master who will rule over the past and the future! Her name is Kamen Rider Diend!" 

Gudako didn't know how to react when her summon disappeared into the silhouettes he came from, turning around to see the intense anger displayed on Olga Marie's face. A sigh escaped the Master. 

This was going to be fun. 


	2. Steam and shadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On exploration and engines.

"…If there's one thing that we can be certain about, it is that no Masters who have managed to survive the rayshift save for yourself, Fujimaru." Olga Marie muttered with a grimace. "I hate to admit it, but all that I know is that and why we've been rayshifted to Fuyuki in two thousand and four. After all, there is only a single factor that connects all of us – we were not present within the coffins when the bomb detonated. It's not as if there was a high chance of success, but rayshifting a material body rather than just the soul and mind isn't an _impossible_ feat. Meanwhile, the coffins have a certain limit where if the success of rayshifting lies below ninety-five per cent, all power to the coffin is cut off. It would've been impossible for anyone to have rayshifted here without power, therefore we're the only ones who could be here."

"Wow, the Director's really reliable when she's calm!" Gudako remarked, the look of surprise upon her face causing the anger upon said Director's face to grow near exponentially suddenly, it felt like the hellscape around them wasn't the most terrifying threat at the moment."Ehehe, I mean… You're always so calm and reliable… when you're not shouting at me…"

"WHAT WAS THAT LAST PART?!"

"S-sorry! Don't hurt me!"

"…Hmph. Well, whatever. At least I now understand the situation. To survive, Mashu has successfully managed to fuse with a heroic spirit to become a demi-Servant and sheer luck has allowed Fujimaru to wield a weapon that can casually summon spirits as if it's nothing as well as apparently grant her a mystic code on desire." Olga Marie muttered, folding her arms with distaste upon her face.

It was reasonable; after everything that had happened to her in Chaldea and since entering the singularity, there was good evidence for why the white-haired woman could be a little bit displeased with current events.

"Since it's an emergency, I'll approve the last-minute contract between you and Mashu, but I'll be taking control of the situation. Our priority should be establishing a base camp. Our best bet is finding a ley line terminal, where magical energy converges in its greatest density. From what we've managed to establish about Fuyuki, there should be an appropriate area nearby…"

"Actually, it's right here according to data, Director," Mashu remarked, a pink tinge coming to Olga Marie's face as she looked downward, only to whip her face back up – it was magical energy, there wasn't anything to find after all.

"Y-yes, I knew that. Of course, I knew that! It was clear all along, naturally." The white-haired woman blustered before her stern expression was once more set in stone. "Mashu, I'll need to you to place your shield down in… this exact spot. If we utilise your noble phantasm as the catalyst, I'll be able to establish a proper summoning circle. That way, we can both bolster our side with actual heroic spirits and siphon the required magical energy to form a connection to Chaldea."

Gudako remained silent as she nodded to Mashu, the demi-Servant obediently laying down her shield for the Director to work on, a long stream of incantations whispered. It was clear that Olga Marie was in her element now more than ever, the controlled process being one that she had practised countless times in the hopes that she would be able to summon her own servant before Chaldea had managed to establish a semi-automatic summoning chamber.

A flash of bright light had the orange-haired girl gasping, covering her eyes until the incredibly loud noise died down. Once it had, however, Gudako's eyes were glued to the mystical blue surroundings, a heavenly power wrapped around Mashu's shield as said girl struggled for words.

"This… this is just like Chaldea's summoning chamber…"

" _Hello? Hello-hello? Right, looks like the connections back and at full power!"_ Dr Romani's voice declared with delight, a small beam of light expanding to reveal the ginger-haired doctor's full appearance. Exhaustion marred his normally quite handsome features, his fingers never resting as he occasionally flicked his eyes over to invisible screens. _"Great job securing the connection. Now we should be able to communicate freely, I might even have the power to send over emergency rations."_

"What!? Why are you at the head Romani!? What about Lev? Where's Lev? Put Lev on now!" Olga Marie immediately interrupted, fury written into her very being. A shocked sound followed by the doctor falling off his chair was the result, Gudako trying her best to stifle her giggles. According to the look she got from Mashu, she wasn't exactly very successful.

Despite her laughter, however, Gudako did notice one thing that caused concern; the way that Olga Marie asked for Lev Lainur was incredibly desperate, almost on the levels of begging, especially when she recalled what the Director had been yelling before.

Lev Lainur, after all, was one of the original technicians at Chaldea and the one who created SHEBA, the device that allowed the organisation to view the future of humanity. He was someone who held Olga Marie's full trust, but the level of dependence she was showing…

" _D-Director, you're alive? You're alive! And you're totally unharmed? I never expected this to happen!"_ Came the Doctor's response, the shock within his voice causing a gentle growl to escape the white-haired woman's lips. If he had actually been there, there was no doubt that Dr Roman would already be sporting a brand new bruise.

"What kind of response is that!? More importantly, where's Lev? Who put the Head medic in charge?" Olga Marie feverishly asked, the Doctor's head falling. From the way she sounded, she was mere moments away from having a heart attack and they were _not_ prepared to handle that kind of situation in the middle of nowhere.

" _You don't need to tell me that Director. I'm fully aware of how unsuited I am for this seat."_ Romani muttered, slouching down in his chair in defeat. _"If there was anyone else who could be authorised to do so, I'd gladly hand it over. As we are now, however… There's no one of a higher authority left to take over. Out of all Chaldea full-time staff, only twenty people managed to successfully survive the bomb. Professor Lev was monitoring the whole situation from the command room, it would've taken a miracle for him to escape with his life."_

"No way… Lev…" for a moment, abstract despair clutched Olga Marie's heart, threatening to squeeze so hard it would end her there and then. If it weren't for a hurried shake of her head and the return of her commanding aura, then Gudako was pretty certain she would've collapsed there and then. "No, there are higher priorities, no matter how much it pains me to say that… What is the status of the Master candidates? Are the coffins still in good condition?"

" _As of the latest reading I've taken, all forty-seven are in critical condition, medical supplies are running low too."_ The doctor stated grimly. _"At this rate, we might have the supplies to properly restore a few to reasonable condition, but the highest likelihood is death for all of them."_

"Don't be ridiculous, place them all into cryopreservation immediately, we can focus on reviving them and restoring them later. Our greatest priority is ensuring that they are alive! Not a single one of them is to die! Or did you forget that the coffins even had that function built into them!?" The order had Dr Roman scrambling back onto his seat, his hologram eagerly tapping away at a keyboard as his eyes widened to incredible sizes. Yeah, there was no hiding that he had completely forgotten about the fact that a cryo-freeze function was present.

"…Isn't cryopreservation without consent considered a crime?" Mashu spoke up softly, the demi-Servant's only sign of emotion being slightly wider eyes than normal. The lack of response from the Director caused Mashu to gain a small smile. "You knew that and still decided to make the decision. You placed human lives before your reputation as the director of Chaldea."

"Isn't it obvious!? So long as they're not dead, I have the time to explain myself later. Besides, forty-seven lives on my hands… few would be able to bear such a burden and I'm not one of them." The Director spat out, her expression growing troubled for the smallest moment. "They can't die, they can't… Lev, if only you were here…!"

It took a moment for the Director to calm down. Once she had, however, their next objective could be completed – bolstering their armaments, through the assistance on heroic spirits. It was a chaotic ritual at best, one that was prone to failure for even the slightest deviations, but when there was no telling what horrors were awaiting them, any help would be eagerly accepted.

"But do we really need to summon another Servant?" Gudako questioned, spinning the gun as she had seen many a TV cowboy do. Without any of the grace or talent with a firearm they had, it ended up looking like a complete mess instead of a spectacle. "After all, this thing can summon that rider guy on demand and there's a whole bunch of other cards too! If they all do that kind of thing, what's the point?"

"Tell me, how does that gun work? What makes it function? How are the powers of heroic spirits infused into those cards?" the sudden barrage of questions from Olga Marie made Gudako pause, her mouth opening wordlessly before shutting. "We have no idea how that thing works Fujimaru. All we can take is the words of the man you summoned and he already said he wasn't a Servant. He was even on a time limit; what if that limit ends in the middle of a battle? A proper Servant means we have less risk of you endangering us all by reliance on that gun."

There was… no real argument to that. After all, the gun was something she had ripped off a dead body. Normal firearms would never have dealt any damage to a creature of magic origin, so it was clearly something magical, but beyond that, Gudako didn't know anything else. Servants and heroic spirits, however, were something that Olga Marie and Chaldea knew _very_ well.

"Here, take this." Olga Marie stated as she placed a trio of rainbow coloured crystals in Gudako's hands. The way they glowed had the girl in a trance for a second, only the Director's next words causing Gudako to turn up. "Saint Quartz, an artificial power source that will allow the ritual a much higher success rate. With Mashu's shield providing a stabilised catalyst and the Saint Quartz bolstering the variables to be more favourable, our chance of this working should be adequate."

* * *

Turns out, what Gudako herself had to do was simple. While the circle itself was an intricate piece and the magical theory behind it would boggle even the greatest minds, all the orange-haired girl had to do was place the Saint Quartz in a specific position and order before speaking an incantation. After that, it was down to luck.

_Silver and iron to the origin. Gem and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone. Chaldea calls to the greatest.  
The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown, the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate.  
Shut (fill). Shut (fill). Shut (fill). Shut (fill). Shut (fill).  
Repeat every five times.  
Simply, shatter once filled.  
I declare.  
Your self is under me, humanity's fate is in your sword.  
Though we lack a Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer.  
Here is my oath. I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead, I am the one who lays out all the evil of the world of the dead.  
You, untold heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of the balance!_

Light. Well, light wasn't the best way to describe it. It was a pure pillar of energy reaching to the heavens, _piercing_ the heavens to open the way for those who resided within. It wasn't an instantaneous ritual, the powers beyond comprehension searching for who could be the most suitable candidate for summoning, the oddities of the one committing the summoning meaning such a search was not easy.

Literally hundreds of legends and figures looked to the call with curiosity, their decisions quickly made. Some straight-up ignored the call, others took a moment to debate before deciding they were not the best choice. Others were considered, only for the offer to be withdrawn when it was decided they posed too much of a risk upon their summoning. In a manner of seconds, too many possibilities to count were eliminated until gradually, only a single figure remained.

The situation intrigued him, as did the one who had committed the summoning. Her resolve was strong, her ideals pure and he would never deny how such girls held sway over him since his dear Lovelace. In a world of uncertainty, of powers that could not be summed up through pure numbers no matter how hard some may try, his knowledge would most certainly be useful to them. He hadn't been summoned for so long either; it would be nice to stretch his legs once more and glimpse his beloved dream once more. Therefore, he accepted the call and stepped through into reality.

Once the light died down, Gudako reached out with a questioning hand, drawing back the silver card to the sound of silence. A thickly bearded mage decorated the back of the item, the front image left blank. Mashu, peeking over her senpai's shoulder, had no clue how to react to the card, but her Master suddenly perked up; she knew exactly how to use it.

"Hey, it fits!" she cheered, the silver card slipping into the gun without issue. Olga Marie however, wasn't feeling the same way.

"Where is the servant? This ritual calls upon a heroic spirit to form a contract with, it should _not_ just form a card!" the white-haired girl said, biting her thumb. How many things could possibly go wrong? Why couldn't just one thing follow the usual rules?

Gudako didn't care however, she had a new card and there was only one way to react to that. Pulling forward the handle on her weapon, there was silence at first, a frown appearing on Gudako's face before the sound of beeping suddenly grew louder. It brought a concerned frown to Mashu's face, her shield appearing before the demi-servant.

"Are you certain this is safe?" the lilac haired girl questioned. Considering what Olga Marie had said before the summoning ritual, her fears were only made worse, despite Gudako's startling lack of concern.

"Of course it is! Doctor Roman said there was some weird way of powering itself, right? It's probably just charging up." Gudako reasoned, Mashu still unconvinced while Olga Marie was still stewing in the corner. Well, that was what it seemed like, but unbeknownst to the other two girls, she was also trying to steer clear in the case of unexpected detonation.

" _Um, you might want to be careful with that. The Director's right in that we don't know how it works and with the systems I've gleamed, it shouldn't be charging like that…"_ Dr Roman warned, his hologram blinking back into existence. The girls in Fuyuki wouldn't notice it, however, too busy watching as a sudden build-up of energy appeared on the end of Gudako's gun. _"Get down! It's gonna blow!"_

_**SUMMON RIDE: CASTER! BABBAGE!** _

The steam that flooded the area was blinding, Gudako letting out a hiss when the scalding vapour touched her skin. With Mashu holding up her shield before Olga Marie, the Director and demi-Servant were fine, but her mystic code lacked even that protection. Blinking furiously to get rid of the stinging sensation, Gudako waved the gun before her face, trying her best to end the awkward pain.

What she was met with was a monstrosity of metal and steam, an endless amount of the heated vapour flowing out from every crook and cranny of the figure. A single glowing red eye was the first part of the being to reveal itself, the steam giving way to reveal a towering metallic man wielding a monstrous club. His movements were robotic as he turned towards the girls, a shield raised defensively as the sound of metal rubbing against metal called out.

"…It appears that you are my Master, gun wielder." A deep voice boomed, Gudako giving a brief nod. It was hard to tell his reaction to that, encased in metal as he was, but the steam he was emitting had died down ever so slightly. "I am the Steam King. I died once and now my existence lives within an imaginary world. Class is Caster."

"…Name's Gudako. This is my cute kohai, Mashu, and this is the Director of Chaldea, Olga Marie." Gudako happily introduced, Mashu giving a small nod of her head while Olga Marie mirrored the movement.

There was a certain reassurance to his appearance in the eyes of Olga Marie. The heroic spirit appeared to be more like what she expected of a traditional heroic spirit rather than… well, whatever you could call the other warrior Gudako had called upon. While he may not have spoken like a combatant, the sheer size of his weapon and the armour that protected his form would no doubt be highly useful.

" _Servant Caster's existence confirmed. Well, it may not have been a normal summoning, but it was successful nonetheless."_ Dr Roman sighed, rubbing the back of his head. _"Caster's existence seems to be as permanent as any heroic spirit, no time limit, but… that gun doesn't look too good right now."_

Gudako paused her observation of her summoned Servant to look upon the gun, or more importantly, the bright red burn that was found on the skin around it. She didn't hesitate to drop it to the ground, smoke still emanating from its barrel as she jumped away as fast as possible.

"My first inspection would say it is merely overheated; a moment cooling down should have it in full functioning order. Internal systems as far as I am aware are still intact and functional." Caster muttered, gradually reaching out to grab the weapon from the ground. However, while I am an inventor, weapons are not my speciality. I would advise against using it for a small period, Master."

" _Wow, you don't normally get servants who would react like that! Then again, if what that gun said was right… the Father of Computers would be pretty good at understanding machines, right?"_ the Doctor's statement had Mashu giving out a small sound of amazement, Gudako blinking owlishly. It was enough to make Olga Marie roll her eyes in annoyance.

"The prestigious scholar who invented the very first steam-powered computer, Charles Babbage. A mathematician turned scientist who lived in the nineteenth century and created the Difference and Analytical engines." The Director explained at Gudako's blank look, bristling slightly at the awed applause the orange-haired girl gave. "If you were planning to become a Master, you should've known that much! It's not even ancient history, it's perhaps the closest to modern times you can get while still qualifying for heroic spirit standard right now! The closer a heroic spirit is to modern times, the weaker their legends and thus fighting ability is… I don't mean any offence Mr Babbage, but how good are you with that hammer?"

"You need not worry, Director Olga Marie. Though I am a scholar, this armour will defend against any. My craving and reverie for a long lost future have taken form in this monstrosity of armour and a weapon." Caster declared, the sound of venting steam ringing out as he hefted the club onto his shoulders. "My Noble Phantasm allows for the creation of smaller copies of my armour as well, should my strength prove to be insufficient."

"Very well. We have established a reasonable connection with Chaldea and we have an actual servant-Master combination. That means we can officially begin our investigation of the singularity." The Director answered, folding her arms as an arrow pierced the air right beside her ear. It would take a moment for her to realise what just happened, her eyes widening dramatically as Caster stood before the skeleton. "E-enemy sighted! Mashu, Caster, deal with it!"

"Director Olga Marie. It would be wise to remember that my Master is not you." Was all the scholar remarked before steam started to vent from the joints around his body, the pressure lifting Caster high into the air. With the startling speed at which the Servant rose, there was no way a slow creature such as a skeletal archer was ever going to reach him, especially with the steam near dense enough to form an actual wall.

Not that it was necessary. After all, even when one of the arrows managed to reach Babbage from as high as he was, it simply bounced off the armour without a scratch. Without any greater intelligence to pull from however, there was no other way the skeleton could respond, dumbly cocking another arrow and releasing it fruitlessly over and over again to no effect.

"Difference Engine activated." Was the only warning the skeleton had before it suddenly found every bone in its body crushed beneath the weight of a massive steam-powered club. It didn't stand a chance against the power of the Servant, barely a second thought put into the strike until the skeleton was completely destroyed.

With a cheer, Gudako ran over to her Servant, ready to eagerly praise his efforts. The way he defeated the skeleton was far more dramatic than she or Mashu could ever achieve and even in a life or death scenario, a little bit of flair made things far more interesting to watch.

The heroic spirit didn't respond at first however, the crimson eye in the centre of his helmet glowing wildly as it scanned the surrounding area. That skeleton had not been alone from what he was seeing and from the looks of things…!

"My, look what we have here. I didn't think there was any fresh meat left." A sultry voice remarked from above, Caster immediately grabbing both Olga Marie and Gudako while Mashu raised her shield.

It was only just in time, the pink-haired demi-servant grunting as she felt the power of chains slamming against her shield. Babbage bared better, his form unmoving as the chains tried to pierce his defence to reach the tender flesh beneath, only to come up short.

In the end, the metal decided it was no use trying to directly attack, instead stabbing into the earth and rubble surrounding until a veritable cage surrounded them all, Caster slowly releasing his iron grip around Olga Marie and Gudako so he could raise his club.

"Now don't go thinking you can escape. My hair's hold is absolute; you're flies in my web now…" the new arrival cooed, violet eyes glinting dangerously beneath a tattered hood.

A flick of her wrists sent the long strands of purple flaring out behind her, Gudako gasping momentarily as she saw the hair taken on a reptilian form for but a brief second before it returned to normal. A woman who was known for the snakes that made up her hair? Even Gudako could guess who that was – Medusa.

"…Caster, I don't think I have the strength to defeat her. I'll have to rely on you." Mashu muttered with a frown. It didn't earn a proper reply save for a small amount of steam vented from the metal Servant. "Caster?"

"While I am no slouch when it comes to physical combat, I am more suited to defensive situations, much like you. This armour is also lacking in agility." Caster muttered, his deep digitised voice cutting through Gudako. "For such a fast opponent, the best we could do was hold our ground indefinitely and hope that she tires enough to slow down so my strikes can land."

That didn't stop Caster from attempting however, his body lurching towards Medusa as Mashu moved to defend their Master and Director. Even with the enhancement that came with steam billowing out from behind him however, his weight prevented any chance of Caster landing his attack, Medusa merely chuckling as she leapt over his head.

The spike that she attempted to ram through the armour came back without causing a dent, a sudden rush of steam pushing away her second attempt before it could dig into one of the open gaps that could be seen within it. A second attempt met just as much resistance, Medusa easily moving from position to position and fruitlessly striking before Caster could get into a better position to retaliate.

Jumping upon the roof her chains formed, Medusa sighed as she dusted herself off. So she couldn't directly attack the Servant – so what? It wasn't as if the hulking mass of metal could do the same and the other Servant with them barely even had a presence regardless of the shield she held.

"Look at you, so nervous you can barely even hold your shield still." Medusa cooed as she crawled up on her chains, a spider teasing her prey before she took a bite. "Do you think you can defend your Masters before I take their heads for myself? Without a Master, I wouldn't even need to fight you."

"I will defend Senpai and the Director!" Mashu immediately declared, hefting her shield as a hungry grin appeared on Medusa's face.

In less than a second, a pair of spiked chains shot towards Mashu, the girl crying out as she deflected them to the side. Caster tried to move forward, but he would be too slow; though Mashu was adequately deflecting the chains that came close, they were unaware of the snakes that came out of the chains behind, Gudako turning at the last second at the quietest hissing.

Olga Marie let out a yelp when she felt the orange-haired girl's weight fall upon her, stopping the snakes from snapping their necks. Their new position, however, was vulnerable, the snakes melding back into the chain and suddenly emerging from a completely new angle that would've hit its target if it weren't for the heated metal that Gudako put in its way.

The orange-haired girl hissed as the still burning metal of her gun tried its best to burn off her skin, Gudako dropping it as soon as she possibly could. It served its purpose however, the snake recoiling with a burned face back into the chains.

Medusa gave a wince as she felt one of her snakes get burnt, the distraction just enough for Mashu to knock her off balance. Caught off guard, there was no way the woman was going to avoid getting grabbed within the giant iron grasp of Caster, thrown against her chains so the metal Servant could give a steam-powered tackle to her whole body.

The force was enough to make Medusa spit blood, her chains unravelling as she barrelled through them and crashed against the ground. She would've received even more punishment at the hands of Caster if it weren't for the sudden clapping that echoed through the area.

"I didn't expect to see another Caster here. Then again, this isn't exactly what I'd call a normal war. Still, looks like you're all having fun without me, and we can't have that now."

"Who are you?" Olga Marie called out, subconsciously pushing herself towards Gudako. Handling one was reasonably tough even with a numerical advantage, but if another joined the fray, then they would be done for completely.

"Oh, just a friend of that woman there." The voice replied jokingly as a series of runic characters appeared in the air, rapidly spinning to form a pillar of light. As a blue-robed figure stepped out from within, crimson eyes and a vicious smirk appeared.

"Caster? What are you doing here? Don't tell me… you would side with these wanderers?" Medusa growled as she picked herself up, brandishing her spiked chains as the newcomer gave a scoff.

A single click of his fingers was all that was needed to bring several more runic characters to life, their lettering burning as they positioned themselves before the wooden staff that the man held. A swift flick of said staff had the burning runes flying forward, the narrowest of margins preventing Medusa from being engulfed in the magnificent explosion that came from their collision with the ground.

"Well it's damn well better than being on your side, Rider!" the newcomer scoffed, his hood falling off to reveal nay hair tied in a ponytail. "Hey, you lot, hope you don't mind me dropping in on the party. I kind of want to see her taken out sooner rather than later. Just give me some good orders and we can make a contract, yeah?"

"R-right, er, is that how contracts work?" Gudako questioned before she shook her head. No, there was someone who looked like they could use elemental magic, if she… "Babbage, Mashu! Distract Rider! Caster, I need you to come here for a second."

"Understood."

"Right Senpai!"

"Excuse me?" As Babbage and Mashu dashed to meet their opponent, a disgruntled Caster stepped over to his temporary Master with a frown. "I hope you're not having me sit this out, lady."

"No, but I've got a plan. Director, I'll need you to temporarily command Mashu and Babbage, you can do that right? Even though you have no compatibility as a Master?" Gudako answered, a look of shocked anger appearing on Olga Marie's face before she answered with a sigh. "Cool! Now, I have this gun thing, but it's kinda useless as it is now. Do you think you could cool it down with your magic stuff?"

"I mean, my main runic knowledge focuses on fire, but I guess I can give it a try. Don't think a gun's gonna be much use in a Servant fight, you should know that, right?" the blue-haired man remarked as he gently waved his staff, a series of ancient symbols beginning to surround the gun.

Almost immediately, Gudako felt a cool breeze fill the air, a pleasant change from the hellish heat thanks to burning buildings. Looking to the steam that came off the gun, she gave a small nod; it _seemed_ like her plan was working at least.

"Caster, restraint manoeuvres! Mashu, direct strike!" Gudako turned her attention to where Olga Marie was busy shouting orders, a firm expression set upon her face.

As soon as the white-haired woman finished, Medusa found herself writhing within Babbage's hold, Mashu's shield coming down onto her head. It was just a shame that to avoid getting hit, Babbage wad forced to release his grip, allowing Medusa to slip away from the second strike that hit the Caster's hands instead.

"A-ah! Sorry!"

"Focus on the battle, Mashu." Was the response that the metal Servant gave as he planted his club in the ground, stopping the Rider from stabbing Mashu in the back. With a gasp she turned around, only to witness Medusa flying above their heads, only a last-minute shield raised preventing her from getting skewered.

"Caster, Mashu, caution! I feel-!" Olga Marie yelled out as a shadow leapt out from the darkness, Mashu letting out a cry as a deep wound appeared upon her waist in seconds. That was accompanied by the arrival of another muscular warrior wielding several different weapons, his lance colliding with Babbage's defences. "No, three of them? We're not in a situation to deal with so many. Fujimaru, assist me!"

"We're almost there, I can feel it!" Gudako called back, the amount of steam escaping the gun lowering by the second. "Caster, assist Mashu! The cooling process should be quick enough naturally at this point and Babbage's defence should be able to withstand the assault. Doctor! Tell me when the gun's internal readings match what you saw before!"

" _R-right! Just be careful, the amount of magical energy it takes to control three servants is naturally a huge level and the back-up system at Chaldea isn't fully complete yet!"_ Dr Roman warned as his hologram appeared, the sounds of feverish yelling in the background of his voice. _"You want to refrain from using too much magical energy at once! Unfortunately, that means a weaker fighting force."_

"Come now, what's with the gatecrashing Assassin, Lancer!? Nobody invited you lot!" the blue-haired Caster cried as a series of flames shot out.

While Babbage was doing his best to deal with the Rider, a wave of fireballs spread out to burn all that crossed their path. The fact that Assassin was easily able to jump above the fire to smash an unnatural hand against Mashu was something that brought a grimace to the Caster's face, but at least a few of them hit the Lancer.

"Oi, Master! Looks like these lot have let the atmosphere get to their heads. Ain't going to be any reasoning with them." Caster muttered, tapping his staff upon the ground. The action caused a series of branches to wrap around the Assassin, pulling him to the ground before setting themselves alight.

At the same time. Lancer tried to rush down Mashu, yet the girl's determined defence met that no matter how many weapons that the other Servant tried to pull out and strike her with, it failed to pass her shield.

"HAHAHAHA! Fight on little girl! Watching you crumble will be ever so entertaining!" the Lancer muttered, unrelenting in his assault. So long as he carried on like that, it was a battle of attrition and from the burning sensation in her arms, it didn't seem like Mashu was going to be winning that.

"Maybe I should've put myself against Lancer over there, at least he seems like someone I could have a nice chat with!" Caster taunted as he gave a casual flick of the wrist. The movement was enough to send a firestorm from above, the light near blinding as the fireballs raced towards the ground.

For someone like Assassin, who lived in the shadows, it was perhaps one of the worst attacks he could've been put against, the skeletal-thin figure darting back and forth to avoid a fiery death. His movements were almost beyond human sight, barely a blur moving in between the explosions of flame.

It was only at the last moment when Caster realised how he had taken his attention away, enjoying the fire too much to realise that the Assassin had gotten behind his back, a quick spin of his staff having a dagger digging into the wood, suddenly, the joy melted away from the blue-haired man's face.

"Babbage, behind!"

"Understood." Medusa flipped away from the club strike that would've undoubtedly knocked her head off her body, a low mechanical sigh escaping Babbage as he returned to his stance. "Director Olga Marie. Unless you have an alternative strategy, we appear to be in a stalemate. From what I was able to hear, Master is also unlikely able to provide suitable energy for me to deploy my Noble Phantasm."

Olga Marie turned back to where Gudako was flipping through her cards feverishly, a curse bitten back. Couldn't that girl stay focused for more than a few seconds!? Even during her introduction speech, the girl had the audacity to fall asleep!

" _Gudako, you're good to go!"_

"Right, then I'll use this-!"

"Wha-!?" was that could escape Olga Marie's mouth before a giant tunnel formed of cards filled her vision, the sound of building energy attracting the attention of every Servant.

_**FINAL ATTACK RIDE: D-D-D-DIEND!** _


	3. The wicker man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On demi-servants and druids

Gudako almost couldn't keep her grip on her weapon as an astonishing amount of energy burst forth from the barrel. With a fair amount of struggle, however, that beam was soon slamming directly into the Rider class Servant.

"Such... strength… impossible!" the purple-haired woman gritted out, digging her feet as deep into the ground beneath her so as not to lose her footing against the surge of energy. It took all her might to do it, yet it appeared as if she would not be moved.

"Initiating hammer blow!" at least, it was until she found Babbage's hammer slamming into her back, her defensive stance destroyed. Fully exposed to both the power of Gudako's attack and the might of Babbage from behind, there was no way that Medusa could hope to withstand the blow.

Pushing the woman through the entirety of the beam attack, Babbage then slammed her into the ground, scalding every inch of her body with his steam before lifting his foot and stomping down on her body. Clad in vicious metal armour as he was, his weight was certainly nothing to be laughed at and when the entirety of that impressive mass was crushing your body, there was no way you would be standing up again.

"Hey, eyes over here!" the Lancer Servant, just as everyone else, had allowed himself to be completely distracted by the sudden attack out of nowhere, meaning he was blissfully unaware of the runes that began to glow upon his enemy's staff to set the whole thing alight.

He would quickly come to regret that however when a few masterful spins had the burning weapon repeatedly slamming into his head, a yelled incantation from the Caster sending it speeding forward after being thrown to cave in part of Lancer's face.

The blow knocked Lancer onto his back, yet another eruption of fire launched the Servant high into the air, Caster giving a victorious cry as he stabbed his staff upward through the aerial Lancer's spine. Throwing him once more to the ground, Caster turned his attention away – Lancer had been dealt with.

That only left one Servant, the Assassin. While he was no weakling by any means, there was no chance of him surviving when three servants were going against him in direct combat. With an enthusiastic defence by Mashu and the assistance of both Caster Servants, he was quick work without the advantage the shadows gave him.

"Ah, that felt good! Almost as if I had my lance on me!" Caster sighed, rolling his shoulders with a vicious grin. "If I was summoned before that sham of a Lancer, I would've been able to access way more of my power! Never really was one for sitting in the back lines shooting magic. Nice job you lot! Never expected a damn _gun_ to deal that much damage without being from a heroic spirit and you? Held your own and you have a nice body."

Both Mashu and Gudako immediately turned red at the blue-haired man's remarks, their crimson faces drawing out a barking laugh from the man. He may have been an incredible assistance in the battle, but he held himself like a pervert, especially with the way he was still openly assessing the bodies around him.

"But still, I haven't seen a servant like you before. I'd call you Saber if there wasn't already one and you actually had a sword. Then again, there's another Caster class." He continued with a palm to his forehead and a sigh. "Well then, call this payback for helping you out there. Care to fill me in on what's going on here?"

* * *

"…You're kidding me. The world, killed off?" the blue Caster scoffed, lying back against the ground as he threw his staff beside him. It was one of the only places where there was enough space for him to do so. "If this Holy Grail War hadn't gotten down the drain like this, I'd be hard-pressed to say I understand. If there's something big messing with humanity, it would explain why everybody except the Servants has disappeared."

"So all of the Servants of a Holy Grail War are still around? One of each main class?" Olga replied with a foul look upon her face. "Can we expect any of them to be as… genial, like you?"

The white-haired woman used that term in the loosest sense possible, a few comments beneath his breath that were clearly aimed at her causing Olga to fear for her purity. The implications were clear in her tone and expression, not that it caused Caster any concern.

"Not a single one. When everyone disappeared, most of us wanted to try and figure things out, but Saber decided mystery-busting was too boring. I'm the only one who survived Saber's assault." The blue Caster explained, his smile finally fading slightly. "Now all of them are like the guys you just fought, corrupted by some black mud. They and the monsters that sprang up have been rummaging around for stuff and considering the gun you're holding, they're going to go straight to attacking. Anything to ensure they have the power to kill me."

Gudako looked to her gun with a grim expression. There was no denying that their opponents were already powerful if six of them had banded together, Saber especially if they had managed to gain control over the others. With the powers that the gun afforded the Master, a Heroic Spirit like that would be able to wield far too much power.

"To kill you… To finally complete the Holy Grail War and earn the ultimate prize, Saber would need to the final Servant." Babbage murmured. "Then your assistance was a means to reduce of gathering your power in addition to taking out the enemy."

"If you want to put it like that big guy, sure. I'm not going to lie about that." came the reply with a shrug. "It's not a big deal though, is it? We both want to get this mess over and dealt with, so why not make it easier and do it together? If I had been summoned as a Lancer, Saber wouldn't have stood a chance, but like this I need all the help I can get."

"…Very well. So long as our ideals coincide, then I see no issues with a temporary contract." Olga eventually agreed, despite her reservations about the man. "Although I must ask, if there are no humans around anymore, then where is your Master? Surely you, a Servant in the class that requires the most magical energy to sustain, would have a source to keep yourself stable."

"I don't know. I've been siphoning as much as I could from the atmosphere, but otherwise, I'm still just a step away from fading away." The Servant said. "Still, the young shooter here will make a good enough substitute. I'd say you, but you're kind of lacking when it comes to being a Master. Not for circuits, but the aptitude."

"Yes, I don't need you to explain that to me!" was the snappy reply, Gudako jumping back at the anger that flooded her superior's being.

Right, talking about Olga not being a Master was off the table – good to know. The white-haired woman was gritting her teeth as what Gudako guessed was the first vestiges of tears entered Olga's eyes. As soon as Olga noticed, however, they were quickly wiped away, replaced by her usual stern expression, her body's gentle tremors settling.

"Right, right, sorry there Miss. Anyway, now we have _that_ settled, let's talk aims." The blue Caster interjected after a moment of silence. His eyes, it was clear to Gudako that the Servant had noticed something, but for the life of her, she couldn't figure out what. "After all, there's only one thing that could possibly do something as crazy as this. We're talking the Greater Grail."

"… _But the way you said that, there's an issue with this 'Greater Grail', isn't there?"_ Dr Roman's voice remarked from thin air, the Caster's eyebrow rising for a moment before a smirk appeared on his face.

"Ah, I see. Long-distance communications through magecraft… and a little something else if my gut's right." The blue Caster said. "Yeah, Saber's keeping an eye on the Greater Grail like a hawk, the Servants she contaminated as well. Archer, I can probably deal with if I have you backing me up, but Berserker… even Saber had a rough time with that monster. So long as we don't approach him, we should be fine, but he's gonna be a big issue if Saber can somehow tame him."

" _Then we're all aware of the situation. Our target has become thus: search out the Greater Grail and assist Caster in ending the Holy Grail War of two thousand and four."_ Roman declared tiredly, a grim determination underlying his tone. _"Mister Caster, please lead us."_

"Hey, no need for the Mister. Besides, even temporarily, the lady here's my Master, not a weakling like you." The blue Caster warned, Roman immediately quietening. Gudako wasn't certain, but there was the slight inkling in the back of her mind that the Doctor had cut the connection because he was sulking.

"R-right! Then let's go!"

"That's the spirit girl!"

* * *

The path ahead was not a clear one; their motley group had been met with a variety of perils, whether it be the monsters that sought Lancer's death and Gudako's gun or the very environment itself, brought to a crumbling point. There was barely any time for a reprieve when the world around you was as likely to kill you as the enemies you were facing.

They were fortunate that the three Servants they had on hand, or at least, the two Servants and the demi-Servant, were so reliable. The combination of Babbage's armour and Mashu's shield meant very little could ever hope to penetrate their defences and with the offensive capabilities of the blue Caster, they were able to move with very little injury.

It was only made easier when Babbage revealed a rather useful secondary function of his Noble Phantasm: while it came with a fair drain of magical energy, the armoured man was capable of producing miniature replicas of his own armour. Weak, yet useful for menial tasks they made the perfect scouts and bait for traps. With all combined, there was barely any need to call upon the other cards at Gudako's disposal.

The only issue the orange-haired girl came across was not of their offensive or defensive capabilities, but the perpetual frown that had appeared upon a certain purple-haired girl's face. It wasn't as if it was having too much of an impact upon her manner of fighting, but it had caught the attention of Olga.

"Mashu's clearly depressed, why aren't you doing anything?" the Director whispered harshly. "She's your Servant, isn't she? That means, as her Master, you should get her out of this funk before it starts to affect her combat performance!"

"I know, Director." Gudako quickly answered, turning to Mashu, who was finishing off one poor unfortunate skeleton, with a tilt of her head. "Mashu, are you feeling okay? We're friends, right? So you can tell me if something's wrong."

"N-no, there's nothing to worry about! I'm functioning perfectly normally Master!" Mashu quickly spat out, stumbling over her words slightly. The mouth malfunction caused a gentle blush to appear on her face, Mashu turning away as she began to play with the handle of her shield. "But… you could say that's an issue of itself… Despite having been steadily gaining experience as a Heroic Spirit with these battles, I've only been able to fight like a normal human with a boost to my strength. I haven't been able to access abilities like my Noble Phantasm at all… I can't even guess what its true name would be."

Ah, that made a lot of sense. After all, even for a Demi-Servant who was only borrowing the powers of another, a Noble Phantasm was a key aspect of a Heroic Spirit's being. Not only was it the strongest attack or ability that a Servant could call upon, which would be crucial when it came to combatting Saber and the legion under her, it was also a factor that defined the very legend that allowed one to ascend to the Throne of Heroes. For Mashu to be deprived of that, while also having no clue which Heroic Spirit had lent their powers to her, was going to be a major blow to her confidence.

" _How responsible of you Mashu… but I don't think it's a matter to be solved in a few hours. We're talking about a Noble Phantasm."_ Roman's voice piped up. No doubt if he had a physical presence in the singularity, he would have his arm around Mashu's shoulders. _"If we could easily reproduce a Noble Phantasm, a Servant's greatest ability, then they would no longer hold the special quality that makes them Noble Phantasms."_

"What are you talking about you idiot? They're _our_ Noble Phantasms. They're a part of us, almost the same thing; of course we can master them." the blue Caster was quick to intervene with a scoff, followed by a robotic noise of agreement from Babbage.

"Indeed. I, a mathematician who has never seen a battlefield during my first life, am a perfect example of such a phenomenon." The armoured man declared, alongside a hearty blast of steam for emphasis. "Naturally, as a living being, I had no access to such magnificent steam technology, nor could I call upon the Dimension of Steam. However, the moment I ascended to the Throne of Heroes, this power was made clear to me, even if I had no right comprehending how any of it functions as Magecraft. Mashu, though you do not know who your power may originate from, you have no doubt been gifted the knowledge on how to use your Noble Phantasm. You merely have to bring it forth from within the depths of your soul."

"The depths of my soul?" Mashu parroted, a hand reaching towards her chest.

The way that the scholar spoke of it made it sound as if it were a simple task. For a Servant like him, it _was_ ; they had been gifted the knowledge of how to do so by the Throne of Heroes and never had to worry about being incapable of such a feat. For one who was unaccustomed to utilising Magecraft and who had no idea of any potential legendary attributes that could become her Noble Phantasm however, it might as well be asking Mashu to grasp the sun.

"Reservation? Is magical energy not circulating right? Meh, maybe it's just the fact that you're not yelling enough when fighting." Blue Caster sighed with a shrug, a tentative look appearing on the Shielder's face.

If it weren't for Gudako's hand immediately shooting out to cover the demi-Servant's mouth, there was no doubt that her shout would've shattered eardrums. It was surprisingly loud even muffled as it was.

"Yeesh, hold it girl. It was just a metaphor." The blue Caster muttered, a finger in his ear to try and stop the small amount of ringing. "But, we've got the enthusiasm at least… hey, Master, what do you think of a training detour? I'm a Caster right now, so healing shouldn't be much of a problem."

"E-eh? You want to start training now? But shouldn't we be focused on reaching Saber and the Grail?" Gudako pointed out, and rightly so. The longer that they diverted their attention from the main aim, the longer that the cause of humanity's end went unknown, the less time they had to ensure that the world wasn't destroyed come the turn of the year.

"I suppose I can allow it. Fujimaru, surely you understand why such a move will not be detrimental to our mission?" Olga spoke up with folded arms, a withered frown of distaste upon her lips. "As we are right now, we are far too at risk without access to Mashu's Noble Phantasm; if we wish to succeed, then the opportunity to utilise the Noble Phantasm is key. Besides, we were… _fortunate_ enough to learn about the Singularities and humanity's coming end with a year time limit. We can sacrifice some of that time if it means providing us with an advantage for the other singularities. My only concern is, how will this training work?"

"Well, we do have that gun…" the blue Caster trailed off with a widening grin, Gudako looking down at the weapon briefly before a look of recognition dawned upon her face. "How about it? Think you can conjure up a couple of friends for Mashu to spar against?"

* * *

"Um… Senpai? Please go easy on me?" Mashu quietly pleaded as she saw Gudako going over the various cards in her collection. So long as the functioned like they did the first time, then they shouldn't be permanent while still packing a decent punch; perfect for training dummies.

"I mean, it isn't exactly as if I could control that guy we summoned the first time." Gudako pointed out with an awkward chuckle, Mashu's face falling for a moment. "B-but if I summoned them, then they would listen to my orders, right? Babbage does, so… let's just hope this works! These look like cool guys!"

_**KAMEN RIDE!** _

_**GATACK!** _

_**BARON!** _

_**GREASE!** _

As a burst of light rocketed out of the gun's barrel, Mashu braced her shield as she watched the figures from within.

The first to become stable was a blue stag beetle, the horns upon his helmet swivelling into place over crimson eyes as he took up a battle stance. Reaching up to his shoulders, the summoned warrior drew the two blades that were sat there, their wicked edges glinting in the sunlight.

The second was far more of a… strange spectacle, to put it bluntly. While Mashu could respect the white and red knight aesthetic the summon held, a spear held at the ready as he steadily approached, it was the fact that the majority of his armour was formed of what appeared to be a banana that had small giggles coming.

The third, golden and mechanical looking in areas, was the one who mirrored their name the most. Mashu couldn't exactly tell what strange dark material made up portions of the third's armour, but it seemed to hold a greasy shine under the sun, as if it had been an oil freshly applied over the warrior's torso and head and solidified.

Regardless of the purple-haired girl's musings, they were clearly viable opponents from the moment their forms solidified, jumping into action almost immediately. If it weren't for Mashu's quick reactions, she would've had her head taken off by the spear held by Baron, followed quickly by a hole drilled into her courtesy of the weapon held by Grease. Even if it was a training battle, there was no holding back.

Defending was no problem; with a shield as large as Mashu held and the instincts given to her by the Heroic Spirit residing within her soul, it was relatively easy to fend off the incoming strikes. Though Grease was wild in the way he fought, pure passion and very little else, and Baron was calm and measured in the way he attacked, Mashu was nimble enough to hold them at bay.

"Clock up!"

_**CLOCK UP!** _

"Huh-!?" but then the small streak that Mashu had going was completely broken by the blue blur that flashed before her eyes, a pair of swords biting into her body. The strike hit so suddenly it caused Mashu to drop her defences momentarily, unfortunately allowing the other two to move in and wreak their havoc.

_**BEAM MODE!** _

Before a swift kick hit him away, Grease was able to get a few quick punches to Mashu's stomach, his hand moving towards the blue weapon in his grip and swinging forth the two barrels resting upon it. At that point, it didn't matter if he was sent stumbling back as Grease dodged the shield slice Mashu retaliated with, two lasers firing back. Mashu was fortunate that she had angled her defences right and deflected the lasers harmlessly to the ground.

It did mean she had to awkwardly dodge around Baron's slices, the knight for some reason deciding that the spear in his hands was better suited to be used as a sword. The demi-Servant was thankful for the sheer size of her shield at that point; by spinning it within her grip, the bottom of the cross knocked Baron onto his back while still protecting her from the speeding Gatack that was constantly attacking from all sides.

_**CLOCK OVER!** _

"She's doing alright." The blue Caster remarked and the blue blur suddenly became far more recognisable, his speed diminishing to a far more manageable number. It meant that when Mashu swung her shield low with a cry, Gatack was forced to jump over, leaving him vulnerable to the shoulder tackle from the girl. "It's not taking her far enough though, not yet."

_**ATTACK MODE!** _

"And what is that meant to mean?" Olga questioned, wincing slightly as a golden screwdriver dug into Mashu's side as she tried to fend off her other two attacks on the opposite side. Individually, Mashu would've had less trouble, but spread out as they were, it was becoming more and more difficult to fend the summons off. "She already seems to be struggling to hold herself together. Should the fast one activate his super-speed again, I doubt Mashu would be able to continue to defend herself."

"We're not looking to beat her up." The blue Caster corrected, to the confusion of both Gudako and Olga. "A Noble Phantasm comes as an instinct to a Heroic Spirit; the more she tries to think about it, the more complicated she makes the whole act. As soon as she dries out her magical energy reserves, then the more likely Mashu is to let her body do the work."

"It is a risky move. Should her magical energy run dry, then she is left vulnerable. I do not wish to play with an innocent life." Babbage muttered, his voice stoic as he watched Mashu's struggles increasing. "So long as they do not truly endanger her life, then I see no issue. Should they make a move to do so, I will not stay passive."

"Of course big guy. Besides, you got the one who summoned them right here. Not as if they're going to mess up one of her friends that badly." The blue Caster said, slamming an arm around a slightly nervous Gudako's shoulders.

The orange-haired girl wasn't so easily reassured. After all, once one took away the power that was gifted to Mashu by her Heroic Spirit, she was a perfectly normal girl, one that was far more fragile than others by her own admission. Without her magical energy to fuel her demi-Servant form, then there was just as much risk of death as there was to any other normal human, right?

_**SCRAP FINISH!** _

_**COME ON!** _

_**BANANA SQUASH!** _

_**1! 2! 3!** _

_**RIDER KICK!** _

"Rider kick!"

An alarming sound came from Mashu as she heard the various voices yelling, streams of blue and gold energy coming together around Grease, Gatack and Baron. The fight had already been a drain upon her reserves, yet the sheer amount of energy that was being gathered by her opponents meant anything less than her best wouldn't be enough to prevent her defeat

A highly empowered roundhouse kick, a diving kick flooded with an incredible amount of oil and a spear thrust disturbingly covered by energy formed banana all tried to hit Mashu at the same time. The attacks resulted in a spectacular explosion, the bystanders forced to cover their eyes as the light threatened to blind them all, Gudako crying out Mashu's name over the deafening sound.

Once the light faded, however, they were treated to a wonderful sight; despite the strength behind the blows, there was nought which touched the purple-haired girl, all thanks to the gentle glow that encompassed both the demi-Servant and her shield. Seeing that their attack had completely failed, the three warriors all split into the silhouettes that formed them, fading away to whence they came.

With complete disregard to whatever the energy covering her kohai was, Gudako rushed over and hugged Mashu with a triumphant cry. The position the hug put them in meant that the orange-haired girl wasn't able to see Mashu's face, however, meaning that the only reason she felt something was wrong was when she felt the blood splatter upon her back, courtesy of Mashu's cough.

"M-Mashu!"

"There we go! I mean, it isn't a Noble Phantasm, but we're getting somewhere!" the blue Caster cheered momentarily before it settled into a small smirk. "Now we just have to get you used to that feeling. Using it this time was more like a survival instinct, like a rush of adrenaline through your body. Now that it's faded away, your systems are trying to recover. That means we don't have much time to work with!"

"Rather than just testing my will, at least teach me some basic theories first!" Mashu weakly complained in Gudako's arms, the blue Caster giving a small roll of his eyes.

Though it wasn't exactly necessary, considering that a Heroic Spirit could be pushed to far greater levels of stress, he was at least kind enough to heal Mashu somewhat. Her bloody coughing dealt with, Mashu gave a small groan; while it had prevented some fatigue, her body was still highly exhausted magic-wise.

"Come on, you have to have more than that in you! You've managed to get through all of the battles so far, right?" the blue-haired man coaxed, eliciting another low groan from the purple-haired demi-Servant. "…Huh, maybe I really did miscalculate… How about this – I'll be your next opponent. If you don't stand strong, then this staff is going straight through your Master's heart."

"…Eh?" but before Gudako could properly formulate a response to the traitorous declaration, a massive hand tugged on the back of her shirt, pulling her away with a surprised squeak. "Hey, Babbage! Don't do that so suddenly!"

"My apologies Master, but it would be best if you remained by my side." the armoured Servant explained, his voice holding a hint of emotion not normally there. "Remember what I said, fellow Caster. I shall not allow an innocent life to be messed with, yet you threaten two."

"Well, if Mashu over here doesn't want her precious Senpai getting hurt, then she better prepare herself. Not like I'm going to hold back, even if we are allies." Came the reply, the blue Caster rolling his shoulder with a relieved grunt. "You should count yourself lucky. I'm not as fast or strong as I would be if I was summoned in the Lancer class, so you've basically got the advantage!"

"This is ridiculous Caster and you know it!" Olga interjected, throwing her hand out in anger. "Not only do you endanger our entire operation seeing as Fujimaru is our only current functioning Master, she has no reason to be involved in Mashu's training in such a manner!"

"But she does, doesn't she?" the blue Caster immediately retorted. "A Servant's problems are the Master's problems as well. The moment that a Servant fails to protect their Master, the moment that they let their defences down – that's essentially the moment that the Master dies, right? If Mashu wants to give up now, then I'm fine with that. I'll just drive my staff through her heart right now and get it over and down with before Saber does it."

"…Master, preparing for combat." It came as barely more than a whisper, but the fire that burned in Mashu's eyes spoke far louder as her shield was held in slightly shaky hands.

While it was clearly a struggle to fight, Mashu would _not_ give up. Not while her Master, her Senpai, was at risk.

"Right then, that's what I wanted to hear. Let's do it then, a real Servant vs Servant battle." The blue Caster said before his face grew stoic and he shot forward at immense speed. If this was him at a worse speed than usual, just how fast was his Lancer form?

The first attack, a straight lunge towards Mashu with his staff, was easy enough to block. The second, however, caused Mashu to bend back almost inhumanely as she tried to reposition her shield, only just managing to defend herself against the fire that flew down from above. Spinning the shield in an attempt to move the enemy back, Mashu was successful in pushing the blue Caster back, slicing the front of his robes by the smallest amount.

Pushing the small advantage, Mashu threw all her weight behind the shield, the blue Caster's eyebrows rising as he was met by a full-on tackle from the front. That wasn't to say he was caught off guard entirely though, throwing his staff forward in front of him and planting his feet firmly in the ground. The result was a complete deadlock, the blue Caster's feet digging into the earth beneath while Mashu tried her best to move onward.

The only issue was, the blue Caster was still at his peak whereas Mashu was essentially running on fumes; in a battle of pure strength, it was clear that the purple-haired girl was going to fall first, receiving a taste of wood as a staff slammed into the side of her head. And threw her back.

"He's gonna take it too far…" Gudako moaned, her finger resting upon her gun's trigger.

It would be all too easy for her to simply slip a few cards in and interrupt the fight, pulling Mashu to safety while dealing with the blue Caster herself. The only issue was, that would completely defeat the point of Mashu's training, meaning that the orange-haired girl was forced to exhibit as much restraint as she possibly could.

There was also the lingering threat hanging over her head, a threat that the blue-haired man could easily follow through with. He had existed without a Master in the singularity and the contract formed between him and Gudako was merely a temporary one, nothing more than a courtesy than anything truly binding. Even if Gudako were to die, the blue Caster could theoretically continue to live on indefinitely within the singularity and he would be able to take Gudako's gun and the powers it held for his own.

Gudako was drawn out of her musing by the sight of Mashu viciously impacting a tree, a pained cry escaping her junior. As a series of runes flew from the blue Caster towards their target, the demi-Servant tried her best to hold up her shield, eyes widening when the mystic symbols completely avoided her.

Instead, flying literally into the wood of the tree Mashu had smashed against, the runes brought the burnt object back to life, Mashu turning around to find the tree blossoming as if it were any other spring day. That surprise quickly changed to horror though when the tree continued to grow, branches reaching round and crushing Mashu against its trunk with unnatural force.

Forced to relinquish her shield by the branches around her, Mashu was left completely open as the blue Caster slowly approached with a straight face. At first, it didn't seem like he was going to do anything, Mashu already resigning herself to defeat, yet it was soon made clear that the torture not over so soon.

No, not by a long shot if the pure beam of fire that shot into Mashu was any sign. The force of the attack was enough to send Mashu straight through the tree, shattered wood surrounding her as she bounced against the ground. At least the blue Caster was keen enough to let Mashu regain her shield, though it took a moment considering how tired and injured Mashu had become.

"Don't stop now Mashu. If I get bored with training you, you know what happens." The blue Caster warned, raising his staff into the air.

The motion brought forth several rocks inscribed with a wide variety of runes following after, slowly chipping away at themselves until several perfect spikes were floating just around the Servant. A quick swing of the weapon and those spikes were now arranged in a near-perfect dome around Mashu, their number almost blocking the purple-haired girl from sight.

"Oh, by the way, I have no control over the order of these spikes! You'll just have to react fast!"

Mashu would've given a witty reply, if she had the time to conjure even a single thought that wasn't based on her immediate survival. Instead, she was struggling to move her shield into the right place to defend herself from the bullets that threatened to impale her better than Vlad the third could ever hope to do, the spikes easily digging deep into the ground every time she avoided one. It wasn't as if there was anywhere she could run, lest she move closer to another just as deadly projectile.

It wasn't even as if the relentless attacks were moving her any closer to achieving her Noble Phantasm, not in the eyes of the bystanders. No, it was essentially just the facilitated torture of a young girl at the hands of a highly advantaged opponent. Yet there was something in the blue Caster's eyes, something beyond the relentless attacking and taunting of Mashu, that prevented Olga from calling the whole thing off.

Eventually, the tactic Mashu was employing devolved more and more until she was essentially merely cowering behind her shield, not even hoping to start an offensive comeback, a sight that caused the blue Caster to sigh and wave his hand. It meant that the spikes that had been assaulting her position immediately lost power, thudding inelegantly against the ground like the useless rocks that they were.

"Well, that was kind of disappointing." The Heroic Spirit said as he looked upon Mashu, who was perfectly ready to fall on her back and happily fall asleep. With a hand to his chin in thought, the blue Caster gave a small hum at the sight. "Didn't expect to see you so pitiful like this. No doubts from that shield that your Noble Phantasm has something to do with defence, but you've only been able to activate something close to a skill by complete accident. There has to be something we can do…"

"I believe it would be best if we allow Mashu to recover. Though it will delay the training, it would ultimately be best for her health." Babbage suggested, Gudako nodding emphatically beside the man. "Save for dramatic actions, I do not believe that there is much we could do in this situation that could elicit a reasonable reaction."

At least, that was the reasonable solution to the situation, especially considering the condition of the trainee. Yet Mashu felt a dark aura of fear come over her body when she saw the smirk that had appeared upon her tormentor's face at the scientist's word, much to Babbage's visible concern. Well, visible somewhat, considering it mostly consisted of steam venting from within Babbage's armour.

"Dramatic actions you say…?" the blue Caster muttered with a far too wide grin, his staff tapping against the ground. "You know what? I think I could do that. Hey, ladies and gentleman! You might want to take a step back! I'm going to need a little bit of space for this!"

"What is that idiot doing? Fujimaru, stop him before he does something irreparable!" Olga cried out, but it was too late, an enormous amount of magical energy gathering around the blue Caster as he spoke before Gudako could stop him.

" _ **I'll use my ace up my sleeve!**_

_**Burn them completely, giant of all trees!** _

_**Wicker Man!"** _


	4. A new resolve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On killing and Kamen riders.

The heat was unbearable. Worse than any hell one could ever conjure in their mind, a thousand grades more demonically torturous than the flames that licked Fuyuki. The heat was more than enough to eviscerate a normal human being, not even leaving any ashes to mourn; indeed, if it weren't for Olga's rapid deployment of her magecraft, she and Gudako would've been destroyed in an instant. even with the spell, however, they would not be able to tolerate the immense heat for long.

Mashu was no better. Though her demi-Servant status prevented the heat from having such severe effects, it was still a Noble Phantasm. They were the pure crystallisation of the very essence which made a Heroic Spirit viable for being a Servant – even the weakest of Noble Phantasms could prove devastating if they properly connected and the blue Caster's Noble Phantasm was by no means weak.

After all, it was the culmination of centuries upon centuries of Celtic druidism, the epitome of their sacrificial rituals. Born from the nature that gave the druids their strength and formed into a horrific giant, it was a burning mindless monster that would never cease its rampage until it had a sacrifice to the gods.

The Wicker Man.

And if Mashu didn't act soon, then she and all the others would be consumed in the hellfire.

For a morbid moment, Gudako turned up to Babbage, the metal man standing before her and Olga to shield them as much as possible.

Surely, he must've been burning up too. Not only was he encased in such thick metal armour as to appear a robot rather than human, but he was also constantly releasing heated steam; Babbage was essentially stood within an oven, nay, a furnace. He must've been suffering far more than any other, yet he stood silently, a stoic wall against all that would harm his Master and her colleagues.

All except Mashu, her form faltering as she tried to stand steady against the inferno. Already she was moments from falling to her knees, but the flames grew wilder, branches twisted and turned to create a humanoid shape. If she could not withstand the might of the Noble Phantasm as it was, there was no hope for survival once it was complete.

And then a miracle occurred.

" _ **AAAAAAHHHHH!"**_

It was no incantation, nor was it anything close to the name of a weapon or ability. Had it been any other Servant, then surely their attempts to produce a Noble Phantasm from such a meaningless noise would be nothing more than fruitless.

Mashu was not an ordinary Servant, however. Her Noble Phantasm was broken, incomplete – surely that would also mean the rules surrounding it were broken as well? With every ounce of Mashu's magical ability and desire to exceed thrown into it, surely a new miracle could be born if the original could not?

That was why the Foundation of Anthropic Principle materialised as a magnificent wall of light, the flames eagerly beating against its might and finding itself wanting. With the threat of immediate death before its wielder, the shield of light grew and grew until it shone even more splendidly than the sun itself, overpowering the emerging Wicker Man before it could even finish forming.

With a smirk on his face, the blue Caster cut off his connection with the Noble Phantasm, letting the shield of light destroy every remnant of fire and wood until nought remained to harm its master.

Though not exactly comfortable, the more manageable temperatures returned as the fire magic dissipated into its composite parts, Mashu's Noble Phantasm melting away thanks to a combination of exhaustion and the lack of threat. Luckily for the wielder, Gudako was quickly behind her so she could catch Mashu in her arms.

"I.. did I… manage to do… it?" Mashu panted out, not even able to hold her shield steady as she let the mighty armament fall to the ground. "Did I… release… my Noble Phantasm?"

"Whew, knew you had it in ya girl. Didn't expect to see you without a scratch though." The blue Caster remarked jovially, dusting off his shoulder as if there hadn't been an immediate risk of immolating his own Master. It was clear from the expression upon Olga's face that she wasn't too fond of the attitude. "You should be happy. Go on Gudako, praise her. Not every Heroic Spirit could've stopped my Wicker Man; that make's her first class."

"Senpai…! I…!"

"Yeah, it was amazing Mashu! You were so pretty under all that glowing light, and you managed to stop his Noble Phantasm as if it were nothing!" Gudako gushed with a bright smile on her face, a similar smile and deep blush appearing on Mashu's own.

" _It was certainly a sight to behold! I wouldn't exactly call Mashu a person with a particularly strong will…"_ Dr Roman muttered over the communications, no doubt left wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

"That's because you've been looking at it all wrong. You can't just teach a fish to fly if they're made for swimming." Caster said, only the smallest of condescending tones entering his voice. "She's a protector through and through."

"She did not utilise her Noble Phantasm's true name, however. If we wish to utilise such power in the future, we cannot risk such a factor." Babbage rightfully pointed out with a mechanical groan, an enormous amount of steam escaping his vents. No doubt it was the only way to cool himself down. "Though we can potentially hypothesise utilising the powers displayed, the likelihood of correctly deducing the Heroic Spirit or noble phantasm's true name is minimal."

"Well, I suppose we'll simply have to make one up then. After all, we can't consider this anywhere close to being a standard situation." Olga sighed, flipping some of her hair over her shoulder in thought. "Your very wish, your wish to protect those around you, is what gave birth to this… Virtual Noble Phantasm. Why, it sounds like a fairy tale."

Gudako almost doubted her ears for a second. If she was right, then that was the friendliest that Olga had been so far to Mashu. Not that she would ever voice such a thing. Even if she held a weapon and two Servants under her control, Gudako was smart enough to realise it would do little to protect her from Olga's wrath.

"Therefore… yes, that will be an appropriate title. Your Noble Phantasm shall bear the name 'Lord Chaldeas'." Olga decided with a triumphant nod. "It is a name that means much to you, is it not? For activating the abilities of your Spirit Origin, it shall prove more than capable."

It was the perfect name. Not only was it the place that had housed Mashu for her entire life, protecting her from the horrors of the outside world, it was the single organisation tasked with protecting the history of humanity. Few names could fit the Noble Phantasm of a Chaldean raised protector that had attained the class of Shielder.

"Well, now that we have a name for your Noble Phantasm, how about we go again?" the blue Caster said, rolling his shoulder with a fierce grin. "I may have been holding back before, but you've got a real good defence. I won't feel so bad if I go all out now!"

"…Right! Ready at any time!" Mashu eagerly declared, her own smirk appearing as she brought her shield to bear.

Even if her arms ached or her legs tremble, the sheer progress that she made filled Mashu with bright new energy. It felt as if she could take on the world and while Mashu wasn't so idiotic as to act on it, it certainly helped stand once more against the blue Caster.

"Here I come!"

"Master, your orders!"

* * *

With one more battle and time to rest, the group were finally prepared enough to continue searching for the Grail.

With a new strength to her step, Mashu was leading the charge behind the blue Caster, her good mood not ruined by skeletal attacks nor the horrific surroundings. Honestly, Gudako was rather impressed by that alone.

At least, she was when the orange-haired girl wasn't cringing from her surroundings, dark and dank as most caves were. Already, Gudako had been dripped on numerous times and the number of times she had jumped to high heavens as a shadow crept by her was far too embarrassing to say out loud. Gudako's only comfort was that Olga was taking just about as well to the surroundings. Why couldn't they have been transported to somewhere nice, without fire or caves?

"We're getting closer to the Greater Grail. Don't hang back or you'll get lost." The blue Caster warned, his staff poised to strike at any threat. It was only because of the blue Caster that they were still able to see; his fire had more uses than mere combat.

"Urgh, I understand that Fuyuki sits upon a leyline, but to think the mages made their workshops here…" the white-haired woman moaned, stepping aside to avoid a puddle only to find her head dripped on once more. "Anyway, Caster. You've fought Saber multiple times, right? You made it sound like it at least. Have you made any guesses as to her real name yet?"

"How could I _not_ know it? Anyone who even glimpses Saber's Noble Phantasm can tell who they are." The blue Caster remarked with a shake of his head. "The bastard was able to take out all of the other Servants because of that thing's strength. I guess that's what happens when it's one of the most famous sacred swords in your time."

"…I would dare say that the answer of my time remains the same as the one in yours, Master. Therefore, I believe I already have the answer." Babbage spoke after a moment's pause, his sword thrown over his shoulder as best as the metallic Servant could achieve. The speed at which he answered was to be expected of one of the best mathematicians. "I trust you too have come to a conclusion."

"The most famous sacred sword?" Gudako parroted, a hand held to her chin as her eyes closed in thought. "I guess that would be…"

"Excalibur: the Sword of Promised Victory. A blade that may only be wielded by the true King of Knights – King Arthur."

"And here comes her loyal knight. Or would you be a retainer with how much you've done for Saber, Archer?" the blue Caster snarked, turning around while the others drew their weapons.

Though his form was blacked by the dark power that had corrupted him, there were several details Gudako could make out about Archer. White hair, a black top that clung just a little too well to his tanned body, a bow that looked no different from any other; all well enough to know, but ultimately useless in deciphering an identity from.

"I don't recall ever become a follower of anybody. I'm just here to chase off the unwanted visitors." Archer smoothly replied, his hand gracefully toying with an arrow barely visible with the speed it was moving at.

"Great, so we've got a gatekeeper to take care of. Might as well take out one of the obstacles early." The blue Caster muttered. "Right then, let's get this game moving then! No fun playing a game where the pieces can't move."

"Just as long as you and your little party know the circumstances you've wandered into. Guess even as a mage, you haven't changed a bit." Archer muttered, Gudako tilting her head in confusion. From the way he phrased that, Archer seemed far too familiar with the blue Caster. Were their legends related in some form? "Regardless, it's down to me to shoot some sense back into you."

"Mashu, Babbage, let's go!" Gudako immediately called, the demi-Servant's shield stopping several arrows that would've tore apart the blue Caster's heart while Babbage shot forward with as much speed his hefty body could call upon. "He only held one arrow, so he couldn't have shot them all at once. Did he really prime and fire so many arrows that quickly? Director, take control of Caster two!"

"Don't order me like that!"

"Hey, I don't need someone like her to take care of me."

Gudako ignored both of their protests, her gun already loaded with a card as she pulled the handle forward and aimed for the sky. The act made Archer falter slightly in his shots, out of self-restraint rather than any sort of mistake.

_**KAMEN RIDE!** _

"Okay, this time I actually know what's going to happen…" Gudako breathed aloud over the rhythmic standby of her gun. "I'm going to… henshin!"

_**DIEND!** _

The three silhouettes shot out of the gun managed to solidify at just the right time, a shower of sparks flying off Gudako's chest as Archer's arrows tried their best to pierce through. Though the Gudako stumbled back from the sheer force, the white-haired man gave a small tut as she stood barely scratched, immediately leaping away from the resultant gunfire.

For a moment, it seemed as if he had not noticed the giant hulking mass of metal that was Babbage approaching where Archer was to land, only for the bow in his hands to disappear. Mere moments before the Caster's strike should've landed, his mighty weapon was held back by a pair of blades, gleaming white and shimmering black that could've only materialised in the span of a single second.

To his credit, Babbage did manage to overpower the Archer, the Caster's combined strength and weight more than a match for the lither warrior he was facing, but there had been a struggle for a brief moment. As it was, the attack didn't do much to debilitate Archer, the man able to block the gunshots from Gudako with his swords even while flying through the air.

"An Archer who can defend himself from close combat. How annoying." Olga muttered aloud, stepping back so Mashu could fend off the incoming arrows. "Caster, can I trust you to follow my orders once?"

"You're not my Master… couldn't be even if you tried…" the blue Caster mused for a second, his hand lazily waving in the air to produce a series of runes that surrounded an incoming projectile, burning it away as if it were nothing more than a slip of paper. "…But I guess I can once, if it's not a stupid plan. What have you got?"

"Fujimaru! I need you to keep Archer distracted for me!" Olga first yelled off, Gudako giving a small salute as Babbage landed beside her, Mashu already primed to go on Gudako's other side. "If this works out, it's not going to hurt the enemy at all, but we can at least restrict him…"

Not that the Archer would be so easily distracted. As great for protection as Mashu's shield was, its cumbersome weight meant that Archer's agility was too high for Mashu to properly fight back. not even bullets seemed to move fast enough, for while some shots managed to successfully land, Archer managed to deflect a fair number away from him.

Despite the more than spirited offence that Gudako and Mashu put up, the white-haired Servant was still able to feel that something was off, looking up and rolling away from the giant mass of Babbage that hurtled down from above. The weight of the man left a huge crater as he landed, his sword biting deep into the earth. Had Babbage connected, Archer would've been left as no more than a smear across the ground.

"Archer has the ranged advantage. I'm the only one who can match his range and so, by the time any of Mashu's or Babbage's attacks come close, Archer is either already counter-attacking or moving away." Gudako whispered under her breath as they were forced to avoid another flurry of shots, the wind pressure they produced enough to push Gudako's head aside slightly. "Then we just need someone to get in before he can avoid it!"

Gudako was admittedly pulling cards out at random, acutely remembering just how little she knew about the abilities that were held inside. The only point of knowledge she had was that the one called Gattack had been able to move exceptionally fast; so long as she could find that card again, she would be set.

"Well, this guy sounds fast; might as well!"

_**KAMEN RIDE!** _

_**MACH!** _

A warrior of gleaming white appeared before Gudako with an extravagant pose, quickly slamming his fist upon the button sitting on top of his belt.

_**ZUTTO MACH!** _

The only signal that Gudako got before the summon became little more than a blur was a torrent of flame shooting out of the side of Mach's belt. Archer was very much as surprised by Mach's speed, receiving a punch to the side of his face as the rider suddenly appeared right beside him.

While Servants were certainly faster than any normal human, Archer was not a Heroic Spirit particularly known for his speed. Therefore, he struggled to keep up with the inhumanely rapid strikes that Mach put upon his body, several pummelling kicks landing on Archer's chest in a matter of seconds.

The only issue was that despite his speed, Mach's attacks were barely doing anything to the enemy Servant. Sure, there were plenty of attacks connecting, but Mach sacrificed power for speed. Combined with the innate defensive power that Servants had, it was little more than a boxer punching out of his league.

Even his speed was not to last forever, the incredible burst of speed suddenly slowing down to a more manageable level. It was only natural that Mach would slow down eventually; no typical human body was made to handle such speeds for a long period.

It meant that Archer was quickly able to stop the incoming leg from kicking him, throwing the limb upward to push Mach off balance, his swords stabbed straight through Mach's back in a massive shower of sparks. Pulling out and slicing across the rider's neck, Archer expected to see a loose head and a fountain of blood, only to be met with even more sparks and a trio of fading silhouettes.

_**ATTACK RIDE: BLAST!** _

But Mach's defeat was not meaningless; no, he had done all that he needed to. In his surprise at how his enemy disappeared, Archer was unable to defend against the multitude of bullets that pierced his back, Gudako amazed to find multiple silhouettes of her gun firing at the same time thanks to the power of the card she used.

The silhouettes that appeared with Mach's disappearance also shielded Mashu's charge, a bestial cry (or at least, as close to bestial that someone like Mashu could achieve) ringing out as she slammed the full weight of her shield into Archer's body. With Babbage deciding to charge from the other side with all his might, Archer was crushed between the immovable forces.

"Now, step back!" Olga's voice echoed out, the trio shooting away just in time to see the white-haired girl throw forth a series of pebbles, ones so pitiful and thrown with such weak strength that Archer barely even flinched as they hit his body uselessly. "Stars, Cosmos, Gods, Animus, Hollow, Void, Anima, Animusphere!"

At least, until they suddenly erupted into a bright light that blinded the Servant.

"Don't worry, I've got him right where I want him!" the blue Caster concluded, lifting his staff high into the air as a ring of flame surrounded the enemy.

Too stunned by the sudden flash of light, the Archer could do nothing as a giant burning hand of wood reached up from within the earth, grasping him in a hellish hold of fire before summarily slamming him into the ground. With the amount of blood and burns to be seen, there was no ay he was standing back up.

"Oi, it's time for you to take a hike!" the blue Caster called out, a disturbingly cheerful smile plastered on his face as he leant down to the disappearing Servant. "Don't worry. We'll make sure to take down the sacred sword."

"You say that, but… can I actually block it?" Mashu said, her voice barely above a whisper. "The most famous sacred sword… Servants receive their power from fame and legend. Knowing that, I doubt whether my abilities can withstand such a Noble Phantasm."

"Well, you managed to stand up to Archer's attacks well enough." The blue Caster reasoned, dusting himself off as he stood. "I don't know if you realised, but those weren't just ordinary arrows he was firing all over the place. That shield won't shatter, so as long as you wield it right, there's no reason to worry. You put your all into stopping Saber's attacks and let the others put an end to her."

* * *

With Archer defeated, there was nothing more than a few skeletons blocking their way. Gudako didn't even bother with trying to fight them. with her gun's ability to summon what were essentially disposable fighters, all she had to do was call on a card each time an enemy came up and walk away from the fight. She hadn't even removed her armour, the few times any managed to attack her only resulting in a few sparks before their attention was taken by her summon.

"You can feel it in the air, can't you? This will be our last chance for a break before the Greater Grail." The blue Caster warned. "If anyone has any last requests, speak your mind or forever hold your peace."

"I've managed to recreate the stun rocks that we used during the battle against Archer. With Mashu, Babbage and Gudako at relatively full stamina, there isn't anything left to do." Olga muttered, trying her best to retain her stern features.

Even so, there was no way she could hide the tremors that occasionally wracked her body, the nervousness hidden by a pretence of confidence in her eyes. Though her magecraft was somewhat useful in a fight, Olga had not participated in combat beyond simulations before. Going from computer programmes to facing the King of Knights was enough to make any mortal fearful.

"We just have to keep moving. No time to stop." Gudako declared, bringing her gun to bear as they stepped through the darkness of the cave.

Only, the cave was no longer merely a cave, but a cavern on a scale completely unheard of. For a small island nation to house such an incredible subterranean area was completely irrational, yet the space around them seemed to stretch endlessly and it was all for the sake of the item pulsing at the other end.

"Energy levels incomprehensible; the Greater Grail is producing energy beyond what my technology can decipher." Babbage warned in a low voice as they approached, short bursts of steam escaping his vents suddenly turning to a large bellow as the scientist turned his head to the figure in the distance. "Alternate energy source detected. That is definitely Saber."

Even merely looking at the woman who approached brought awe to their faces. There was no doubt that her form had been hideously tainted, her armour stained black and pale skin stricken by vicious crimson marks, yet it was not enough to hide the royal presence that surrounded the blonde. A gaze was enough to bring a man to their knees, amber eyes near overflowing with authority.

The blade in her hand had not been spared. Whatever evil had warped Saber's form had completely encapsulated her sword, wrapping it in bloodthirsty lightning and a wicked aura. Simply being somewhat near it had the blade snapping angrily with flame and thunder, eager to destroy any who would oppose its wielder.

There was no denying it. They were faced with King Arthur regardless of gender and she was wielding the sword of ultimate light - Excalibur. The magnificent light that encapsulated Britain's greatest saviour could never be extinguished, no matter how much darkness disfigured her form.

Saber didn't need words to convey her thoughts; they were as clear as day within her eyes. To her, they were nothing more than pathetic ants who thought to take on an elephant, the difference in both physical and magical strength astronomical.

"…I see, what an interesting collection of Servants." Saber eventually spoke, her words somehow distant and yet crushingly powerful. Calm and collected words came as if the Servant was commanding them as their liege, the strength of her words amplified as every other aspect of her was. "I have been watching you. Your forms intrigue me. A shield and a gun… neither will prove superior to my sword. Yet that will not stop you, will it?"

"We have people to get back to, lives to save. If we stop here, then everything will be wasted." Gudako returned, showing far more confidence in her stance than she felt.

"Very well. Allow my blade to test the truth of your words." Was the dismissive return before the air became choking as it saturated with magical energy, Mashu immediately raising her shield with a wince.

" _ **Cry out. It is time to fall to the ground.**_

_**Hammer of the Vile King. Overturn the aurora. Swallow the light!** _

_**Excalibur Morgan!"** _

" _ **True Name, pseudonym registered!**_

" _ **Deploying Noble Phantasm!"**_

Their power fought like raging dragons, the earth-shattering beneath their feet. An immovable wall and an unstoppable force met and just as expected, nought was spared in their wake.

Gudako could only watch in amazement as the pebbles their Noble Phantasms kicked up were instantly eviscerated, consumed by the bloodthirsty rage of a tyrant king meeting the materialisation of Mashu's will. She nor any other were stupid enough to think they would remain unscathed outside of Mashu's ultimate defence.

That didn't stop them from nearly choking on the paradoxical atmosphere. A holy blade blasting out rotten energy with nauseating eagerness was not an existence that had any right to manifest after all and the two aspects chaotically merged into an attack with a disturbing level of strength.

But Mashu would not be so easily defeated, pushing back with all her strength. the moment that she faltered was the moment that she along with all those standing behind her were wiped from existence. Such a moment could _never_ come to pass.

Almost like a puppy eager to please its master, the wall of light grew in size, sending streams and streams of malevolent power soaring around it so it could vaporize the rocks behind. even still, Mashu was forced to her knees, her legs unable to withstand the might that pushed down upon her very will.

_**ATTACK RIDE!** _

"We can't give up hope Mashu. We will win."

_**BARRIER!** _

A hand upon Mashu's shoulder had the pink-haired girl look up to Gudako, the blue armoured warrior holding her gun forth as a blue barrier raced out to join with Mashu's own. It wasn't effective at all against the Noble Phantasm – indeed, the barrier found itself shattered in no small amount of time – but the simple act itself was enough to fill Mashu's heart with a renewed energy as she stood.

And as she did, the wall of light _evolved_. No longer was it a mere mass of light, but a slowly emerging form, details taking shape by the second. What had once been a round shield now looked like a castle's wall standing proud against any assault that dare try to reach the treasures behind - a wall that Saber seemed to recognise.

"Could it be-!?"

But the blackened Heroic Spirit didn't have any time to ponder her thoughts, for she found the energy that had once been directed upon her enemies had now taken a life of its own, twisting back on itself and flying straight towards the origin. Cutting off the power did little to stop it and before she realised what had happened, she found herself engulfed by her attack with a vicious wave of debris and dust.

"…Hmph. Unbeknownst to me, my strength has weakened."

Yet to the disbelief of the others, Saber was still standing. Not to say she was unscathed; her power was so great that her own defences proved only so capable in the face of them, but Saber still held enough strength to stand with the assistance of her sword.

"In this battle of wills, it appears as if my tenacity wavered. I stayed my hand at the last moment." She remarked, much to the vocal shock of Olga and Gudako. The implications were not lost on them – Saber was claiming they had only survived her Noble Phantasm through her whims. "Well, no matter. Though I may have been tasked with guarding the Greater Grail, it appears I will meet the same fate alone. There is no point in drawing out this battle; I will grant you this victory by returning to the Throne of Heroes."

"…Is that supposed to mean anything to us?" the blue Caster snarked, holding his staff forward and letting a miniature flame dance upon the head. Admittedly, he was still aching for battle, even if his opponent apparently lacked similar desires.

"You will realise the truth soon enough, Child of Light. The battle for the sake of the world – the Grand Order, is only just beginning." Was the only vague response the Saber gave before her form was encapsulated in a golden light, fading away until nothing remained.

Though the blue Caster gave a scoff, bright smiles appeared on both Gudako and Mashu. They had won.

"That doesn't explain anything!" the blue Caster cried, throwing his hand out only to gape in frustration as he saw the golden particles floating from his fingertips. "Argh, don't tell me I'm getting sent away too!? Urgh, I guess I'm going to have to leave the rest to you lot! Try to summon me in a better form next time!"

It wasn't the best of farewells, but it was all he could afford before he too dissolved into the magical energy that composed his body, leaving nought but the girls and Babbage to stand in the enormous cavern, Mashu panting deeply as she let the shield fall to the ground.

" _I can happily confirm the disappearance of Saber's magical signature, as well as Caster's… you guys have won."_ Dr Roman's voice suddenly appeared, the relief in his tone palpable. _"I don't know how much we can do considering we're still working on the reconstruction of the Chaldean facilities, but we'll have something prepared for your return, definitely!"_

"Indeed… I suppose your actions have earned you at least that much, Mashu, Fujimaru." Olga added absently, her eyes remaining glued to where Saber had stood. "But… did you hear what Saber said at the end? She mentioned the Grand Order… how does a Servant like her know of the Grand Order?"

"Perhaps it has to do with this." Babbage mused aloud, the remaining Servant bending down to pick up the relatively tiny item between two massive fingers. Somewhat resembling a white bullet, yet too large for any conventional gun and with a strange tab on the side that did nought when moved – clearly suspicious considering where it came from. "My initial analysis indicates it is some form of energy vessel, yet its make is beyond my current understanding. A curious matter."

"A shame. I would've expected a Servant of such intellect as yourself to provide a better challenge. Admittedly, I never expected your haphazard group would get this far in the first place."

* * *

'An Approachable young man'. That was what they caused the latest arrival, a top hat held in jovial greeting by a German man clad in a forest coat and a suit. To see a man such as Lev Lainur was always a good thing and even in such an awkward situation as the current one, Olga couldn't help herself from throwing herself in his direction.

"Why is it that trash such as humans can't ever do what they're told? Dr Romani, I know you're listening. All you had to do was come to the command room when I said." Lev tutted, uncaring for the white-haired girl who had captured him in the biggest possible hug. "Always avoiding your preordained destinies, trying to ruin plans… Master Candidate number forty-eight. You have finally surpassed my tolerances. I thought I was rid of that pesky armour."

"Lev…!? Oh, Lev, it's really you! You're really alive!" Olga sobbed, barely even registering any of the words he was saying. Too engrossed in her relief, Olga sunk her hands and face into Lev's body, openly weeping in happiness with all her heart. At that moment, there was nought in the world but Lev for Olga. "Thank every god and goddess alive! I don't know how I would protect Chaldea without you!"

"Hi Olga, you seem well too. Heaven knows how much of a harsh time you've had." Lev casual answered, uncaring for Mashu, Babbage or Gudako's cries for Olga to come back to them, even patting the poor girl on the back like a father. "So many unforeseen complications…"

"Yes, yes, you're right! First, the command room exploding, then appearing in this ruined city and then being unable to return, it's driving me crazy!" Olga happily replied. "But now that you're here, everything can go back to normal, right? You'll help me fix everything, right?"

"Yes my dear, I'll make sure to fix every last mistake. Including you!"

Lev's statement came a little too cheerful for Olga's liking, the director looking up with tear-filled eyes and the cutest expression of confusion upon her face. Unfortunately, not even a statement like that was enough to make Olga release her iron grip.

"What? L-Lev, what's that meant to mean?" she questioned, looking into a face of pure madness and hatred.

_**FINAL ATTACK RIDE: D-D-D-DECADE!** _

_**SHUUEN NO TOKI! OMA ZI-O HISSATSU-GEKI!** _

But before Lev could formulate an answer, he quite literally threw Olga to the side, the director letting out a series of sharp gasps as she rolled across the floor. Not that Lev noticed, too busy jumping away from a rage of dark golden energy and what appeared to be… cards?

"Babbage, help Olga!" Gudako quickly called out, the armoured girl needing no response as the Caster moved over to Olga's prone form. It left her and Mashu able to stand alert; though they were certainly wary about Lev's disturbing personality and admissions, that didn't necessarily mean those who attacked him would be their friends. "Mashu, ready to attack at any time."

"Yes, Master!"

As the dust settled and energy dispelled, they were greeted by two armoured men, both immediately preparing to battle. One, clad in armour of magenta, black and white, green eyes hidden behind what resembled a barcode of sorts with a pink buckled belt around his waist. the other was far gaudier, a combination of dark gold and black forming an elegant clock styled suit, the word 'rider' emblazoned upon his visor in dark crimson upon the clock face.

"Oi Daiki, quit flirting and help us fight!" the pink warrior called out, Gudako instinctively catching the card that was thrown in her direction and looking to the astronaut styled armour imprinted upon it. "Didn't think you could escape us forever, did you? A pair of world travellers and a demon lord of time?"

"More of you. I should've known my pain wouldn't end so easily." Lev snarled, vicious darkness engulfing his form as he fell into a combat stance, unbefitting of what had once been such a friendly face. "But then again, if I can kill one of yours, I can kill them all."

"Don't think it will be that easy!" the golden warrior called, throwing his hand out as a flurry of burning red bats shot out to strike at Lev, the battle quickly afoot.

But Gudako didn't respond immediately, merely staring in silence as her fist tightened around her gun. No, not her gun, the gun she had taken from someone before, someone who apparently had been killed by Lev Lainur.

She didn't want to believe it at first. None of them did - Lev had been the friendliest face at Chaldeas save for Mashu and Roman. The image of that man simply didn't fit with someone willing to murder and risk the entirety of human history.

But here Gudako was, holding the physical evidence that Lev Lainur was not the man he purported to be, if not the massive amounts of killing intent that radiated from his - inhumanely skilled at fighting - body. The tiny bloodstains she had been able to ignore had been from someone who lost their lives at Lev's hands and he had held zero repentance for it.

There was no choice anymore.

_**KAMEN RIDE: FOURZE!** _


	5. Beginning of the world's rebirth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On eyecons and exposition.

"Hey, this might tickle a bit."

Gudako watched with a sense of morbid amazement as the pink-clad warrior quite literally stuck his hands into the back of the summon. Not only did the man's hands slide in without meeting any resistance, but they also seemed to draw out some sort of energy that started a twisted transformation.

From Gudako's card came an energetic man decked near completely in white, his helmet bearing the form of a rocket while the suit was styled after that of an astronaut's. Upon his waist sat a bulky belt of blue, all sorts of switches and buttons upon it with a bright black lever upon the right.

After the pink man's meddling, however, no longer did he bear the human form. With limbs contorting in inhumane manners, openings appearing in places where flesh should be and strange material holding out of impossible crevices, it was hard to even believe the initial fighter had ever been there at all.

In his place stood a massive rocket of orange, a small protrusion upon the side just the right size for the pink warrior to grab a hold of the rocket and charge forward. Mashu, Olga and Gudako were forced to cover their ears at the massive roar of the jet engines, Lev too preoccupied with the rocket-powered punch to the stomach to do the same.

It didn't stop the German from giving a war cry in return, vicious black energy gathering upon his fingertips and firing upon his attacker. One could easily be mistaken for believing it to be a Gandr curse, but such magecraft didn't leave the same scorched crater upon the earth, nor did it leave the same malicious aura where it struck.

The man clad in gold, however, was far more measured in his response. Rather than rushing in, instead chose to approach calmly, easily batting aside the dark magic that was thrown in his direction while his companion was struck by it. The golden man barely even blinked as the earth shattered beneath Lev into several stakes.

Gudako looked to her hands in disbelief and disappointment. She had thought her powers were amazing, yet here were two men bearing similar suits and achieving far greater feats of strength. Sure, the redhead could shoot people and call upon others to fight in a steed as a master should; when you compare that to transforming a man into a powerful weapon or quite literally reshaping the earth, her abilities seemed basic at best.

"I cannot afford to die here, not just yet!" Lev cursed, his arms crossed before him barely managing to defend against a lightning coated kick from the man in gold. Add that to a rocket-powered uppercut and even a Servant would be hard-pressed, let alone what should be an ordinary human (although that belief was eliminated the moment Lev started throwing that strange power about so freely). "My purpose is not yet complete! Annoyances like you should just die already!"

"No one else is dying, not on my watch!" The man in gold retorted angrily, thrusting forth with both hands to release a torrent of oddly shaped ghosts that slammed themselves into Lev. "This timeline may be one I'm going to destroy, but that doesn't mean anyone else has to suffer in it!"

"Besides, who said you had a choice!?" The man in pink added, his free hand messing with his own belts and slipping in a card of shining yellow.

_**FINAL ATTACK RIDE: F-F-F-FOURZE!** _

"No one can change the outcome of this world now. Your future has already been incinerated, from the moment Chaldeas was dyed crimson! Human history has rejected humanity!" Lev roared in insanity, his face pushing the boundaries of human expression into something demonic, alien. "Even if I were to fall here, your species was finished by your incompetence, because you lost the grace of our king! Like scraps of paper, you will be burnt to ashes with the rest of humanity!"

To the sound of his deranged laughter, Lev practically exploded with demonic energy, a wave that pushed away all who dared stand before him. It shook the earth beneath him, the already fragile singularity unable to support the sheer pressure he was releasing upon it. By the time the party from Chaldeas were able to stand, Lev was no longer present.

"L-Lev? L-L-Lev? Where did you go!? Where did you go, Lev!? You didn't leave me, right!?" Olga immediately began to hysterically call out, fruitlessly attempting to claw her way out of Babbage's grasp. Her mind seemed one step away from broken, determined to ignore all that had just occurred in favour of her precious image of the man. "Release me, now! I need to get to Lev now!"

"Oi, Daiki! You could have helped out a little more you know!" The man in pink yelled as he rushed over, ignoring the director in favour of slapping Gudako on the chest. "Do I have to babysit you all the time? Would it kill you to sit still for a minute?"

She wasn't entirely sure how to respond at first. After all, Gudako was being referred to as Daiki, a name she would naturally not respond to. The first time he had called her by the name, Gudako hadn't registered it, her initial reaction to the betrayal of Lev Lainur more than enough to occupy her mind. This time, however, there was no such distraction and it could fully settle into her mind; she was being mistaken for the man who lay mutilated and dead.

Words were not needed as she slipped the card out of the gun, cyan armour fading into particles of light to feel a decidedly more feminine form than the man in pink was expecting. In their surprise, the two other armoured men let their own protection disappear, granting Gudako a better look at their true forms.

The one who had been talking to her was a brown-haired man of Asian origins, a magenta coloured shirt beneath an impeccably kept suit. Around his neck dangled a camera of similar colour, it was less noticeable when placed alongside the sheer confusion painted upon his face. What had once been a confident stance now softened with hesitance and uncertainty.

Beside him stood one more similar to Gudako's age, similarly a brown haired Asian. Comparatively, however, his clothing was far less formal: a bright uplifting shirt of light blue and beige trousers over sneakers, the sort of outfit you would expect of a carefree teenager. Once his armour disappeared, he lacked the regal intimidation that he fought with, replaced by one that seemed far more mundane.

Any further observation of the pair was cut short by the sudden choking sensation around her neck, Gudako clawing at the hands that gripped her shirt so tightly. If it weren't for the orange-haired girl's silent gesture towards Mashu and Babbage, the sudden movement would have spurred the two Servants into action.

"Where is Daiki? Why the hell do you have the Diendriver?" The man growled, only backing away when his partner physically drew him back. "Sougou, this isn't the time to be passive! All of this is going on and now suddenly someone else is wielding the Diendriver and Daiki is still nowhere to be found!"

"I know that Tsukasa, but you have to think rationally!" The newly named Sougou retorted, an apologetic smile on his face to Gudako before he returned to his partner. "This whole place is burning, there is unnatural energy everywhere, this world is literally going to be destroyed in a few moments! Let's at least get everyone to safety before you start asking questions."

Tsukasa didn't give any answer beyond a growl, turning away in anger kick to the ground. Gudako couldn't hold back any more, her tears wetting the floor.

"… He's dead. I don't know how or why, probably because of Lev, but Daiki is dead." She blurted out, words choked yet almost deafening. "I'm sorry. He was dead by the time we arrived in this place. I needed something to defend myself with and I saw a weapon. I-I'm sorry, there was nothing I could do."

"… Take me to the body, now. There's no way that idiot could die. He was too crafty to die, too confident and experienced. This is just a stupid joke." Tsukasa muttered, pushing Gudako back with an unnecessary amount of force. With the earth beneath them handling at the same time, the girl cried out as she tumbled onto the cold hard earth.

" _Guys, I'm afraid you're out of time. Then I have to do an emergency rayshift to get the lot of you out of there! The singularity is collapsing!"_ Roman's panicked voice cried out over the telecoms, eliciting a growl from Tsukasa.

"I'm not going anywhere until I see Daiki's body for myself." He declared angrily, his stance clearly stating he was ready to drag Gudako the entire way if he had to. 'Luckily' for him, it wasn't necessary.

"I think I have an idea, but I'm going to need a couple of minutes. Do we have the time?" Sougou asked to the sky, the sound of furious tapping echoing through the air.

" _If I had to take a guess… no more than five."_

"That's all I need." Sougou declared with a surprising level of confidence, holding in his hand a watch-like object of yellow and red, bearing the face of a beetle-based warrior. "Don't worry about telling me where the body is. If it exists in this world, then I'll find it myself. After that, I'll help you deal with your spirit issues."

_**HYPER FORM!** _

Before any could answer or question his final statement, Sougou had disappeared before their eyes, barely even a blur to indicate he was ever there. Unbeknownst to them, it was because he was moving at ungodly speeds, quite literally scouring the entirety of Fuyuki and analysing every dead body he came across. With how fast he moved, the group didn't even have time to blink before he had returned, cradling an all-too-familiar body in his hands that was gently gifted to Tsukasa.

"Now, I was wondering about you," Sougou stated, pointing towards a dreadfully confused Olga. "I hope you don't think I'm rude when I say I've been analysing you lot. Once I detected one spirit, I couldn't help but check everyone else out. While one is a perfectly normal human, another, a spirit and the last, though bonded with another spirit, stable, your soul is fragile. It's almost as if you should be in a human body… But you're not."

"… W-what are you talking about? Of course I'm human, how could I be anything but human?" Olga retorted immediately with an unnerving chuckle, no doubt the results of her earlier breakdown. "This is ridiculous, all ridiculous… I just want to wake up and have this all be a bad dream."

" _She's right you know. The director may act a little devilish at times, but's she's perfectly human!"_ Roman joked over his communication line, only for his weak attempt at humour to fade away into a surprised choke, the one that brought alarm to Mashu and Gudako's face.

"Dr Roman? Is there an issue?" the purple-haired girl was hesitant to voice.

" _T-that shouldn't be possible! But, it would explain a lot…"_ the doctor groaned, a sharp bang down the line no doubt caused by Dr Roman slamming his head upon the desk. _"How do you say these kinds of things without making the situation a whole lot worse though?"_

"Romani, I want answers, now! Someone just explain this nonsense to me already!" Olga yelled at the top of her voice, no longer hysterical, but certainly far from anything that could be considered a healthy mindset. "Why would you ever think I'm not human?"

"… _Because while I register your spirit's signature as having successfully rayshifted, your physical parameters register as errors. There's no body within any of the coffins that registers as Olga Marie Animusphere."_ The Doctor's voice gravely stated, understandably silencing any further retort from the director. _"If we tried to return you to Chaldea, then you would disappear without a physical vessel to return to."_

"No… you're kidding right? |This is a joke! Of course there's a body to return to, that's how rayshifting works!" Olga denied, rapidly shaking her head until she suddenly found all of her energy fading away, collapsing in Babbage's arms without another word.

"…she appears to merely be unconscious. Though her mindset is damaged, she is physically fine." The Caster stated slowly, gently lifting her into a bridal pose that admittedly, wasn't much of one considering that he could carry Olga's weight in a single hand. "More importantly there is a contradiction I wish to solve. The doctor claims that she can't return to where you came from, yet you claim there is another option. Explain."

Sougou's response was to hold up yet another watch-like object, only this time it was of dark orange and black colouration. Upon this too was a face though not one easily recognised with dead black voids for eyes. How it could assist evaded Gudako, but then again, she had not been expecting the sudden speed at which Sougou had moved before.

"Seeing as she's a free-standing spirit, the way that I or Tsukasa move about isn't going to be able to transfer her either. However, if I can give her a physical vessel, then we should be able to follow your transportation system. The only issue is, when I say vessel, I mean she will only be able to communicate – no moving. If it works right though, she should be able to return to spiritual form and be near indistinguishable from a human."

"…Do it. We don't have to debate and we can't wait for her to wake up." Gudako ordered, Mashu looking to her Master in surprise. "If she has any problems with it, she can take it out on me, but if you say she'll still be able to act like a human while letting her return to Chaldea, then do it."

"I understand. Bear with me then." Sougou answered.

_**GHOST!** _

By pressing the button on the top of the watch and throwing his hand out, ethereal energy of bright orange began to form a mystical symbol in the air that took the shake of a spectral eye. That eye then moved towards Olga, her form glowing before it suddenly became pure light that folded inwards until all that remained was a ball no bigger than a tennis ball.

To the slight horror of those watching, Olga's form had been replaced with a mechanical eyeball of sorts, the director's face printed upon the top as well as her name in block capitals. Suddenly, Sougou's words made a lot more sense, the boy grabbing the eye and throwing his hand back.

As he did, several golden clocks began to fade into existence, the hands upon them spinning at immense speed while a wall of energy shimmered between it - a doorway, a portal. Sougou didn't even need to look back as he gave a firm nod, walking back into it with Olga in tow. Had it been any other situation, Gudako would've considered it more suspicious, but they had no time to waste.

"Dr Roman, get us out of here!"

" _Right! Beginning return sequence! Please, hold on to your consciousness! We can survive in space for a few dozen seconds at least!"_

The world began to tremble even more violently, falling apart at the seams while white began to fill Gudako's vision. It took all of her will power not to scream when huge boulders began to drop the sky, the last thing she could make out before the world disappeared being a wall of hazy greys and blacks that swallowed Tsukasa and the body of Daiki.

* * *

Harsh cold white light.

Gudako groaned as she weakly tried to cover her eyes, the artificial glare far different from the flames that had lit Fuyuki. Well, at least it meant that she was probably safe, unless heaven had decided to take on the appearance of a hospital room.

Regardless of the circumstances she had just been through, Gudako coughed out a weak chuckle. Spending the rest of eternity in a hospital room; now that sounded more like hell than heaven.

"Ah, it looks like Sleeping Beauty is finally awake. Shame, I guess that means we'll have to skip the romantic kiss."

The voice drew Gudako's attention to the door, to the beautiful brunette who had addressed her. Rather than a uniform of Chaldea, this woman bore a style entirely of their own – a full figure was all wrapped in browns, reds and blues with gloves and leggings that faded from blue to black. With every step she took, the sound of her heels clicked against metallic flooring alongside a hopelessly intricate staff clasped within a dangerous-looking gauntlet of steel.

"Not that this isn't a favourable outcome. You're certainly doing better than the director…" The woman sighed glancing to Gudako's left. Turning in the same direction, the redhead was slightly disturbed to find an eyeball staring right back at her. The mechanical eyeball that apparently now contained the soul of Olga. "I hope that boy knows what he's talking about, it's going to take some time if I need to construct another puppet body in addition to helping with all the repairs."

"… Who are you?" Gudako realised. Surely if she had seen such a person before, there would be no forgetting such a dramatic appearance.

"What? Are you shocked to wake up to such a beautiful sight? I understand, I get that quite a lot. I'm sort of used to it now." The woman laughed in return, followed by an eccentric bow. "According to the director and Dr Roman, I'm officially a Chaldea collaborator, but the truth is that I'm the third officially summoned Heroic Spirit. You can call me da Vinci though. I would stay and chat, but somebody wants to see you in the command room. It's time to play your part as the centre of the story, just like the multitude of brave souls that have constructed history before this."

"… Right, okay." Came the quiet reply, Gudako hesitating slightly before grabbing Olga's vessel and rising to her feet. It was clear that she had been sleeping for some time from the way she struggled to hold her weight up, but a few moments later found her slowly making her way through Chaldea.

Gudako couldn't help but feel nervous at the alien atmosphere that permeated the walls of the corridors. Gone was the luscious futuristic style, obliterated by the power of a bomb laid by a traitor. Now, slowly recovering men and women run about trying to fix what they could, resulting in a slapdash mess of materials that spoke of how desperate Chaldea was. No longer did it seem inviting and optimistic; all that had been replaced by fear and pessimism.

The command room was no better. After all, it was where the brunt of the explosion had been and though it was clear that the most time and effort had been put into preparing it for further use, the scars of betrayal were not so easily repaired. The crimson glowing earth that had once been a calming blue was a harsh reminder that life in Chaldea was suddenly going to get a lot harder.

"Good morning Senpai. Thank goodness you're okay." Mashu greeted as soon the demi-Servant saw Gudako approaching. "I was only able to awake not too long before you. Part of me feared that you wouldn't wake up at all… Thank goodness."

"I understand your concern Mashu, but I kind of need that attention over here now." The weary voice of Dr Roman said before Gudako could reply, the orange-haired man practically drooping with exhaustion. "First of all, let me congratulate you Gudako Fujimaru. The situation was harsh and forced upon you unreasonably, but you bravely managed to step up to the occasion. That alone is worthy of my respect and admiration. It's a shame about the director, but so long as those men keep their words, she'll be back with us soon enough…"

"Don't talk about me as if I'm not in the room!" The sudden angered yell of Olga caused Dr Roman to jump back with a cry of his own, Gudako reaching into her pocket to pull out the mechanical eyeball that trembled viciously. "Wait, you put me in your back pocket!? Was that why it was so dark when I woke up?! This kind of treatment will not be tolerated!"

"D-D-Director!? You really are an eyeball!" Dr Roman said in explanation didn't exactly help the situation, only the fact that Olga lacked any body she could move in preventing the woman from slapping him in the face.

"Actually, I think you'll find it's called an eyecon. Quite the cute little name, isn't it?" Sougou's voice retorted as the teen walked into the command room with a slightly soured expression. "By splitting the soul and physical body, preserving the soul in an eyecon and placing the body into preservation capsules, a group of people were theoretically able to attain immortality. I suppose this is the same, just without a body to preserve. My apologies, but Tsukasa is kind of… busy at the moment. I'll be able to explain anything you need to know."

"Well, how about you start with returning me to normal! How am I meant to get everything back on track when I can't even turn left or right!?" Olga immediately suggested, Sougou wincing slightly before giving a mere shrug.

"It's not a system I have much experience with, but there are a couple of possible ways. Technique one failed: bringing you into the human world." Sougou sighed rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "The next I'd try is bonding with an inanimate object, usually one of historical value of some kind. From what I've managed to hear of how this place works, that shouldn't be too hard right?"

"You mean our catalyst collection? But if we want to summon more Servants… but I guess if it means the Director gets to come back properly, we don't have a choice." Dr Roman sighed, catching the eye of one of the nearby technicians. "Hey, go down and get me C…C-15. That should work alright. With that out of the way, I guess it's time for you to explain who you are and how you were able to fight like that – you're not a Heroic Spirit."

"No, we are not. We are those who'll accept death as many times as it takes to protect the world. Masked heroes who fight evil to protect peace on Earth from monsters of this world and beyond, who battled the darkness to protect the freedom of humanity. Those who protect their friends, those who make sure nobody is abandoned, those who reach out to the future, those who protect the world, those who bring people back their smiles, and those who use their power for the sake of others – they are who we are. Kamen riders."

"Kamen… Riders?" Mashu parroted with a tilt of the head. "I don't remember ever hearing anything about a group of warriors by the name of Kamen riders. Surely there would be articles written on such people. If they really are fighting monsters from Earth and otherwise, then it should be impossible to silence them, right?"

"I suppose it would be. Though quite a few managed to keep their identities hidden, some riders were revealed to society. At least, they did in one timeline in their world." Sougou answered with a growing awkward smile, his nervousness becoming more and more obvious. "The reason why they aren't more prominent… Well, it's probably since this isn't the original timeline."

"Impossible. The whole point of Chaldeas is to ensure the continuation of time in the proper manner! Anyone who attempted to alter it would have immediately been detected by our machines!" Olga immediately rejected, her eyecon shaking about in the cutest approximation of a tantrum possible. "That is the whole purpose of Chaldeas! To prevent people from messing with the timeline and fixing it!"

"I am a Demon overlord of time, the King that will rule over the past and future. Whether your technology acknowledges that or not matters little. I have, or should have, command of time and the power of every rider to exist in the Heisei era." Sougou stated and though his words seemed hyperbolic and arrogant, Gudako only needed one look at him to realise that he was telling the truth. "If you don't believe me, then check your pockets. Each of you will be holding a ridewatch, a vessel containing the powers one Heisei rider. Once a ridewatch is created, history is altered as if that rider never existed. Each of those only makes up a tiny portion of my full strength."

It was only natural for people to start rummaging through their pockets, pulling out watches of all colours and each bearing a unique face similar to those that Gudako could summon. It was only Dr Roman who decided to turn the face of his watch, the face of a Samurai changing to reveal a strange logo and the year 2013 proudly displayed in white font. There was no opportunity for him to have snuck them unto there being beforehand and if he had been using superspeed, they would have at least noticed the quickest of blurs. With that kind of display, his outlandish claims became rapidly more realistic.

"Argh, I'm just going to have to say it, aren't I?" Sougou groaned, pulling at his hair. Needless to say, it was far from the image of a king he had been trying to portray. "This world, at least this world as it is, shouldn't exist. Each of the riders belongs in a world of their own, yet this world was born of them slowly fusing. If it had been left alone, this world would have destroyed itself, along with every world that formed it. With the power of every single Heisei rider and control over time itself as a Demon overlord, I was meant to destroy this world and return each timeline to the 20 worlds that gave birth to it. Something stopped that, however, and Tsukasa and I were trying to figure out the cause."

"Hold on a minute, I'm kind of struggling to understand what you're saying. You tell me this world is made of separate universes combined?" Dr Roman choked out, for good reason. After all, while many magi knew of the existence of alternate universes thanks to the shenanigans of the legendary Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, it was a True Magic shrouded with great mystery. There was little evidence that two worlds could interact, let alone 20 of them. "You two were trying to return those 20 worlds to their original form, which would naturally involve destroying this world as we know it… But you were stopped by the incineration of history."

"I cannot separate the timeline into its original pieces if the timeline has been destroyed. I, Tsukasa and Daiki were travelling through time to find the source of the issue. Even with my new power, I was the least experienced and Daiki was used to acting as a lone wolf, so I had Tsukasa accompany me. We saw how well that ended up…"

The incineration of history… It was a thought impossible to envision. Everything that mankind achieved, erased as if nothing more than a file on a computer. That was the only reason for why the globe hovering above them could turn complete crimson – every location for every second of time had been compromised and now, according to some of the screens Gudako had managed to glance at, sat as blank wastelands. Only a monster incomprehensible to humanity could achieve such a thing, yet here they were…

"The rational side of me wants to say the reason you couldn't separate the world is that the world obviously can't be made different universes and you are just deluded. Considering what you showed us and the fact that you appeared here of your power though… I guess that's just not the case." Roman sighed. "You can't overthrow the future by simply altering the past a bit. History has the power to heal itself; it can save maybe one or two people, but the era itself will not be affected. Whatever has done this has managed to acquire huge amounts of power and targeted it towards the most vulnerable parts of human history possible. A single human, no matter how great they are, isn't going to be able to reverse that much damage."

"You're not telling us that it's impossible to restore humanity are you, Roman?!" Olga roared from within Gudako's other hand. "I'll die before I let Chaldeas fail so miserably! We're meant to be the last line of defence against such things!"

A series of looks were exchanged between them. No one dared reminded the director that she had already theoretically died when the bomb exploded.

"… It's going to be hard, but technically we still have a chance." Dr Roman retorted, his face far more serious than ever before. "Like I said, whatever has caused the incineration of humanity has been targeting the most vulnerable points in human history and forming singularities around them. 'What if this war didn't end?' Or 'what if this discovery was never made?', These singularities have ruined pivotal turning points in history and caused the foundation of it to crumble. This means that if we return to those singularities and resolve them, we can prevent them from altering these events and save history itself."

It was no easy feat. Not only were all 49 other potential Masters frozen to keep them alive, but they also have no other servants save for Mashu and Babbage. Even then, Babbage was trying his best to direct the repairs and salvage what little remained; he was a scholar and mathematician before he was a warrior. Then again, if they ever wanted to see a future beyond a year's time, there weren't many other options.

"I know you're kind of being forced into this, but I'll ask it of you anyway. Gudako Fujimaru, Master candidate number 48. If you wish to see the future, then you must go and face the seven singularities in human history. Are you willing to shoulder the burden of humanity and Chaldea?" Dr Roman stated, all eyes turning onto the orange-haired girl.

"You won't be alone. The power of every Kamen Rider will be by your side. You'll find I'm pretty good at fighting." Sougou added, his hand held out in Gudako's direction. "Even if I have to destroy this world in the end to save it, so long as this timeline exists, this is the only life you know. I won't let you throw it away if I had the chance to save you. That's what being a Kamen Rider means."

"Besides, I'm not going to let you use Daiki's driver if you don't know how to use it properly."

Tsukasa slowly stepped forward to stare Gudako in the eye with a stern expression, not too pleased when the orange-haired girl took a step back. It certainly didn't give the impression of one who could save the world.

"That Diendriver is an incredibly powerful tool that could destroy this world. That was why was created." Tsukasa gravely warned. "Whoever wields the Diendriver has the strength to subjugate the very fabric of this reality and now you're being tasked to do that. If you don't have what it takes to step into the shoes of Daiki and become Kamen Rider Diend, then put down the gun and cower in the corner. Otherwise, you better be ready to go through hellish training with me; Daiki set high standards."

"… The world is dead and if we don't do anything, we'll be the only remnants of humanity alive. Do you think I'm just going to sit here when I can be helping humanity?" Gudako answered with growing strength, her hands tightening as she finally looked the Kamen Rider in the eye. "I know I'm not Daiki – from the way you talk about him, I'll never be Daiki – but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try my best to use his powers to save the world. If it weren't for him, I probably wouldn't even be alive right now, and it would be even more disrespectful if I decided to do nothing with the life he saved."

Silence. Gudako's resolution fought fiercely with Tsukasa's judgemental glare, neither one moving while the world waited. Eventually, and much to Gudako's surprise, it was Tsukasa who gave in first with a small scoff as he turned his head away.

"Well, you've got the attitude of a Kamen rider at least. You're no replacement but… I guess we could do worse." Tsukasa sighed, throwing his hands into his pockets. "So, to save the world, we need to destroy it. To destroy it, we need to save it. I suppose that's what happens when you meet the destroyer of worlds with the Demon overlord of time."

"… Thank you. With that decision, the fate of our world has been decided. We will now begin preparations for the preservation of humanity. Our objective: the protection and restoration of the human legacy through the location and retrieval of each era's relic and Grail. The opponent will be history itself and whatever Heroic Spirits or legends stand against you." Roman proudly declared. "To challenge them is to blaspheme against humanity itself. To save humanity, the common man must defy human history, but it's the only way to save the future. This is no longer simply just the First Order we began originally, but… Chaldea's last but original mission: the Grand Order!"

Gudako glanced around; those words alone were enough to stir some sense of confidence back into the staff, people slowly walking around with a brighter energy. It wasn't that much more and in all honesty, there was no way to shake off the sense of dread and fear that permeated Chaldea, but even the tiniest bit of faith could be the tipping point between utter despair and restoring the world to what it once was.

And now it was up to Gudako, Mashu and everyone else to make sure such a future came about. God knows it wasn't going to be easy. It wasn't going to be fun, or simple, or anything close to safe. They weren't even sure it was going to work in the first place, not of how much destruction and push backs they were going to be forced to deal with. If there had been anyone else in that situation, they would have given up there and then – they would have been smart people.

But not Gudako. Not Mashu, not Dr Roman, not anyone who was in Chaldea. So long as they remained a sliver of hope that their plan could succeed, they would take it, and the assistance of Tsukasa and Sougou only made that sliver easier to reach. Even if she had no idea how to properly use her powers, as a Kamen Rider or a Master, there was no way she could just give up now.

The grip tightened around her gun, no, the Diendriver. Because of whatever caused this mess, the man who was meant to be wielding it had been killed without a second thought.

Gudako would be Daiki's revenge.


	6. Chaldean ruminations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On stress and survival.

"Please, stand back. Henshin."

_**SHUKUFUKU NO TOKI!** _

_**SAIKOU, SAIZEN, SAIDAI, SAIKYO-OH! OHMA ZI-O!** _

Clad once more in gold, Sougou glanced around the shattered facility surrounding him. While much remained standing after Lev's assault, several important facilities had been completely destroyed by the planted bomb. That wasn't even beginning to talk about the countless people who had been injured or who had their lives cut short. With access to the outside world completely cut off and many inexperienced personnel trying their best to fulfil roles they weren't suited for, it would take an age to try and repair the damage.

"Reparations will prove rather interesting, wouldn't you agree?" Sougou took a moment to look back, the heavy footsteps of a mechanical behemoth signalling Babbage's approach. "While I may be able to assist with the technological destruction, the structural repairs are somewhat beyond me. It is a shame that Da Vinci is encumbered; as a fellow inventor and scholar, I believe it would prove most curious to see her at work."

"…I don't believe we need her. I should be good enough for this." Sougou denied after a few moments of observation. A small smattering of smoke ejected from Babbage's chassis, something that could be considered a hum of intrigue. "I might still be learning how to use my powers, but this much should be simple enough for me to repair."

Babbage could not respond, for before he could do so, eight rings of a solemn bell echoed through the destroyed hallways. The sound was enough to cause several of the jumpier staff, already made wary by the rider's initial transformation, to immediately pause. The return of the ominous voice after clearly didn't help their demeanour either.

_**EX-AID NO TOKI! CRITICAL STRIKE!** _

"Mighty Novel X's power… I have a feeling this will work." Sougou mused just below his breath, a small nostalgic smile appearing as he uttered that familiar phrase. It quickly died when he threw his hand out, gold energy swirled with pure white soon spreading like a wave across every surface visible.

Anyone watching was forced to cover their eyes, lest they be blinded by how brightly Sougou's power shone. It was a testament to how much energy was being generated by a lone figure, the combined strength of a demon king and a genius gamer managing to permeate the very fabric of reality. Those who dared peek once more were met with the miraculous sight of the world changing before them, Sougou warping and twisting the universe's very existence to fit his needs with barely a flick of his hand.

Crumbled concretely slowly rose by the particle, dancing around one another as they slowly amassed into the constructs they once formed. Complex machinery slotted together as if a child's puzzle, wiring slithering about trying to find their broken pieces. One employee's cry drew attention to where he had fallen, the crater his foot had accidentally been in suddenly repaired in a manner that threw him off balance.

Before anyone knew it, the once battered scenery was the same as the day it had first been constructed. Even the machines that had been undamaged yet in need of repair had been completely fixed, the whole hallways shining with an untouched twinkle. Some had taken to touching the walls in amazement while others simply stood in the middle of the path in awe, the sight bringing a content nod to Sougou.

"Great, if I can do it for one place, I should be able to do it to the rest of the facility as well," Sougou remarked, looking to his hands in wonder. It was a rather strange gesture, at least in the eyes of Babbage as he approached.

"The way that you hold yourself… it's as if you are not comfortable with your powers." The Caster remarked, his tone remaining as stoic as possible.

If there was one thing that Babbage had learnt in his ordinary life, it was that you always took the precaution to avoid insulting those with great power. Rather than any anger, however, the face that Sougou held once the demonic armour disappeared was one of embarrassment. Scratching the back of his head, it took a moment before a sigh escaped Sougou.

"If I'm honest, you're kind of right and kind of wrong at the same time." The brunette replied awkwardly. "I've only had the powers of a demon king for a very short time, but I've wielded a fraction of this strength for a lot longer. Everything I can do now - my control over time, my ability to wield the powers of others - I've slowly gained those abilities and learned how to master them. These abilities, the ultimate form that my journey was fated to culminate in? They came all of a sudden in a fit of anger. I've been able to use them like a child pressing random buttons, but I don't understand most of them just yet."

"I see… somewhat. I supposed it would be like a Servant first awakening to their form in the Throne of Heroes." Babbage mused, his mind firing at one thousand miles an hour. "Though the exact moment is hazy, I remember the shock and fear that filled me when I first learned of my existence as a Heroic Spirit. An ordinary man had become a mechanical monster; it would take me a long time to accept my new existence."

Just as one would fail to remember the exact moment they fell asleep, recalling when a Heroic Spirit first ascended to the Throne of Heroes was a near-impossible task. The Throne of Heroes was a concept that existed beyond the boundaries of time and space, an existence that slipped around and between realities. From the very second a Heroic Spirit was registered, innumerable identical copies of that spirit were formed, sent to equally innumerable universes. It was only natural that trying to recall the first moments of their rebirth, mired in so many sets of memories belonging to so many different realities, would be difficult.

"You say you achieved this through control over time, did you not?" the Caster suddenly realised, a strange combination of emotions beginning to well within his stomach. "Then, would it not be possible for you to restore everyone who lost their lives? Those trapped within the cryogenic chambers? With your abilities, Chaldea could be restored to full functionality in barely a fraction of the initial predicted time."

"It's possible. I can return all of the facilities to how they were before. But I will not bring back the lives of the dead."

It was a cold statement, unsuited for someone of Sougou's gentle appearances. Even though Sougou was surrounded by the friends and family of those deceased, he did not hesitate in his denial. Temporarily perplexed by the response, Babbage didn't move to stop the particularly burly man that grabbed the teenager by the collar, Sougou's words evidently hitting a raw wound if the anger on the man's face was anything to go by.

"You're kidding, right? You do something like that and tell us you can bring back our friends, but won't?" the man growled, Sougou refusing to respond even as the spittle began to fly onto his face. "You can save so many lives and you're just gonna say no!? that's a whole bunch of innocent people, killed by a madman, who could be helping us stop the end of the world! You have the power to reverse needless deaths and you won't!?"

"…Look out of that window. So many people pass by without acknowledging it, but you cannot avoid it forever." Sougou eventually replied after a brief moment, the man's anger briefly interrupted as he followed the brunette's commands. It wasn't that he particularly wanted to, more than his body refused to do anything else but turn towards the glass along with the many eavesdroppers. "There, you will have your reason."

Nothing. Save for the tiny remnant of arctic snow that managed to fit behind Chaldea's barriers, the rest of the world had been completely incinerated. Nought remained save for ash and ruins. They were one of the final portions of humanity still alive, only the most isolated of magical communities having the defences necessary to protect themselves. The savaged wasteland that existed beyond Chaldea, it was a stark reminder of the foul fate humanity had suffered. It was a stark reminder than many weren't exactly happy to see.

"From what little I've learned of Chaldea's functionality, multiple outside facilities assist6 with its upkeep." Sougou mused aloud, uncaring that the majority of his audience was still completely transfixed with the view they refused to acknowledge until now. "That included power systems, material and catalyst collection, as well as vital food and water production. All of those have been destroyed and even my powers won't be able to restore them, or the people who manned them. Chaldea has already been crippled, no matter how well the facilities within are repaired. While it will be able to sustain itself with the current population, bringing back everyone who has died will put too much strain on already limited resources. It just isn't practical to bring them back now."

There was silence, not even the man who first complained able to formulate a response. Babbage had to commend Sougou for his small speech; even if it was a mindset colder than the arctic outside, he had technically only spoken truth. Until they were able to find alternate sources of power, water and food, there was simply no plan that would allow them to accommodate the original population of Chaldea.

"Even then, I managed to take a look at the various roles the deceased were serving. To put it bluntly, restoring the destroyed divisions doesn't benefit the restoration of humanity at all." Sougou continued, scratching the back of his head. "Chaldea also functioned as an astronomical observatory as well as watching over humanity, right? The likelihood of those being able to assist in saving the world is minimal compared to the majority of divisions in operation right now. If we bring back the deceased now, not only would they be additional drains on our resources, they would be dead weight."

"Dead weight…? drains…? Who the hell do you think you are, talking like that!?" the complaining man roared and this time, he was not alone in voicing his opinion.

It wasn't merely verbal either, one surprisingly cocky individual running up to Sougou with his intent to harm made clear. It was only when the woman's cry of pain was heard that the complaints stopped, Babbage looking down on the spot that had been punched with a hiss of steam. That was enough to remind everyone of the Caster's existence and their combined presence caused much of the disgruntled staff to silently leave.

"Should you be making enemies of the staff with your words? We are in dire straits, just as you mentioned; we must be cohesive, not divided." Babbage stated, his red eye ablaze in an unreadable emotion. Perhaps it was because Sougou didn't seem too bothered by his gentle rebuke. "Though you may call yourself a demon king, there is no need to act as such. Not if it's going to cause relationship issues."

"…I'm just saying what needs to be said for the good of the mission. Sometimes, we can't always be as nice and innocent as we want to." Sougou answers hesitant, his face falling for the briefest of moments. "There have been times where I've made enemies of my closest allies for the sake of preventing a terrible demon king coming to be. I do not regret those times. They will come to accept the situation, in time. it's not as if I can't restore the dead. Though my powers are limited right now I think so long as the bodies are preserved, I could restore them before our enemy is fully defeated, unlike Olga who lost her's... That reminds me, the catalyst for Olga must've arrived by now. I should help her get a body again. Saying that feels so weird… Then again, I've lost my body too before…"

And with that odd mutter, the teenager walked off without a single care for Babbage, the mechanical man left watching without a word. Never before had someone simply walked out of a conversation with Babbage, even those who denied him funding for his projects. It was a novel experience, one that had him shaking his head.

"I have certainly been summoned into interesting times…"

* * *

_**ATTACK RIDE: BLAST!** _

_**ATTACK RIDE: CLOCK UP!** _

"Too slow!" Decade, clad in the armour of Kamen rider Kabuto, growled as he threw himself to the side, Gudako's shots smashing harmlessly against the earth. Well, harmless in comparison at least; each shot still left deep craters from where they shattered the floor, the power behind them far greater than any ordinary firearm could dream of. "You're fighting a speed-based opponent right now! Either slow them down or reach the same speeds!"

"But I don't have anything that can make me fa-!" Gudako cried, a punch to her face at breakneck speeds preventing her from complaining any further. Her armour prevented her from being too hurt by the attack, yet that only meant that Decade was free to continue attacking. In less than a second, the orange-haired girl found the Diendriver ripped from her hands, a swift kick to the stomach bringing Gudako to her knees.

_**FINAL ATTACK RIDE: K-K-K-KABUTO!** _

Barely recovered from the powerful strikes, Gudako could only just acknowledge the highly empowered foot heading in her direction, let alone do anything about it. Though she weakly threw her hands up. It was clear that they would do little to stop the rider kick from connecting; it was probably the reason why Decade stopped just before they could touch.

"Always be prepared for anything. You can call upon someone for any job – don't just ignore it." Tsukasa gruffly stated as he pulled his driver open, Kabuto's armour melting away to leave only the disgruntled man inside. Throwing the Diendriver at Gudako's feet, he turned around, waving a rider card absently in his hand. "The Kamen riders you summon are meant to be your tools, servants that defend and fight for you. You need speed? Summon someone fast. You need to defend? Summon someone who can take hits. If this is how you're going to fight, you might as well get used to the world being destroyed."

"…You speak way too casually about the entire world being destroyed." Was all Gudako could mutter under her breath, re-entering a combat stance as the simulator fabricated a new environment.

How desperately she wanted to yell at Tsukasa, yet he was acting as her teacher for the time being. If it helped her prevent the world from meeting a foul death, Gudako would just have to stomach his foul behaviour for a little longer. It didn't mean she couldn't quietly complain to herself though. Well, Gudako thought it was to herself, only to realise how loudly she had spoken when the man turned his head back to glare at her.

"I'm no stranger to destroying worlds. Used to be that my very presence could break them down, now it's more of a hobby." The man remarked, lowering the rider card so he could throw his hands into his pockets. With the simulator randomly selecting a new area, different locales all merging before fading away, it made Tsukasa look almost mystical. "Don't forget that this world is destined for destruction as well. This world is a mess of different realities, all haphazardly stitched together into an eldritch abomination. Something like this was bound to happen, already started to happen, will keep trying to happen even if humanity is restored. The only difference this time is having to deal with the annoyance messing with time before we can make things better."

Gudako tried her best to swallow the uncertainty in her heart but could only do so much to quell it. The reality was beginning to set in; she was working with people who wanted to destroy the world though they were helping her restore humanity, they only did so to allow them to tear the reality Gudako knew apart. It wasn't as if they desired the death of humanity or something, otherwise, they wouldn't have any grievances about the world as it was then, but it was still hard to view them as good people.

"Now, one more time. this kind of fighting won't even stop a grunt, let alone whoever's behind all of this." Tsukasa grunted, the simulator settling on a blazing hot desert in the middle of nowhere. "I'll even go easy on you. Maybe that way we can get you to a somewhat acceptable stage before I pull out the big guns."

That didn't stop him from doing so before by using the powers of Kabuto, Gudako mentally moaned. Tsukasa didn't even really have a fighting style of his own, a bastardisation of multiple martial arts creating something unrecognisable, yet effective. It was only when he was donning another Kamen rider's armour that he fought with anything resembling a formal style, and even that was probably thanks to the armour itself rather than the man inside. How he expected Gudako to master her fighting style in so short a period, Gudako had no idea.

Fortunately for her, the orange-haired girl was saved from more pain by a shrill shriek piercing the walls of the simulator. Considering that the entire area was soundproofed to the point that even the strongest of explosions couldn't be heard, it was a frightening feat. Gudako didn't hesitate in rushing out towards the origin of the noise, Tsukasa giving a rough sigh and rubbing his face before strolling casually after her. Eventually, they managed to track the sound back to the command room, met by an unbelievable sight.

"D-Director!? You're… you're actually back….!"

Except she was not the same Olga-Marie that she had been before, dressed in a robe of black as if it had been entirely scorched. While her body remained the same and white hair, pale skin and amber eyes were all still present, the cumbersome black wings jutting out of her back were a glaring anomaly. Pitch black feathery masses awkwardly flapped back and forth, attached to what seemed to be a wooden frame that melded seamlessly into the skin on Olga's back. To make matters worse, there were even occasions where they seemingly burst into flame for no reason at all, only to settle down completely unharmed. It was only natural that Olga began to freak out the moment that she noticed them.

"I'm surprised this operation even worked if I'm honest." Dr Roman muttered, a weary sigh escaping as he brought his hand to his chin. "Utilising a physical catalyst to invoke the power of a Heroic spirit, then absorbing their power to become something greater. It's comparable to a more stable version of the demi-Servant concept. This process is incredible."

"Senpai, you're here!" Gudako was temporarily drawn away from the distraught director by Mashu's voice the lac haired girl rushing over with equal measures of amazement and disbelief. "The Director suddenly appeared out of nowhere like this when she came into contact with a fossil! Well, Sougou helped out too in some way, but it's still amazing!"

"Amazing!? What am I meant to do like this!?" Olga cried out in despair, emphatically gesturing to the massive wings behind her. Still lacking control over them, the wings erratically flapped in response, Olga nearly thrown off balance by the movements. "This is horrible! How can I act as Director when I can barely keep myself standing with these things? It's an embarrassment, I won't be able to show myself in front of anyone!"

"There's not much we can do about it though." Dr Roman pointed out sheepishly, refusing to back down even when Olga's glare was focused upon him. "The catalyst we used for you was purported to be the fossilised remains of one of Icarus' wings. The wings are the most significant aspect of Icarus; the only way to get rid of them would probably be to evict the spirit you've merged with."

"Impossible. Once a Gamma has been bonded to an item and the spirit invoked through it, they are connected until death. Removing the spirit of Icarus would sentence Olga to death once more." Sougou dismissed, the white-haired woman immediately falling silent. As irritating as her current form was, the alternative absolutely frightened Olga. "If I am honest, you're fairly lucky. At least Icarus' wings were made to be controlled by a human. You should be able to master them in due time."

There was probably some scathing remark, but Olga quickly bit it back. Patience or death; it was a difficult choice, but one that the Director would have to live with. If there was anything positive for her to take from the situation, at least her wings had calmed down for the moment. Well, until they briefly burst alight once more, Dr Roman jumping back lest he singe his coat.

"…I suppose I have no choice. No matter how much I may dislike it, Romani, you will have to continue direction Chaldean operations until I'm… in a more suitable condition for commanding." Olga relented, biting her thumb in frustration. "Gudako, I want you in my office, now. Everyone else… just do your best to assist in the restoration of Chaldea's functionality."

"We're not under your-!" Tsukasa began to object, only to silence himself reluctantly when Sougou's hand fell on his shoulder. Instead, he settled for a low grunt of annoyance, letting a wall of grey haze like the one he called upon in Fuyuki swallow him.

"Don't worry. He's a little bit prickly at times but he ultimately is a well-meaning person." Sougou said, only for his face to turn pensive. "Well, most of the time at least. Or, I like to believe so. Either way, I'll make sure everything's back to the way it was before. If you'll excuse me."

And so, they watched as a weary sigh escaped Sougou, a gate formed of swirling golden clocks appearing out of thin air for Sougou to step through. It really shouldn't have been possible for people to so easily teleport around inside Chaldea, not with the number of magical barriers erected to prevent such a thing, but nobody seemed to care. There were far greater worries to attend to which is why Gudako gave Dr Roman and Mashu a hasty farewell before following the director.

Olga's new appearance was always going to draw attention, especially when she could barely make her way through the corridors without her wings throwing her off-balance. It was only a couple of minutes before the white-haired woman managed to haphazardly fold them inward to an extent, but the damage had already been done. Anybody who passed couldn't avert their eyes and Gudako didn't need to be a psychic to see how Olga would react if she didn't do anything.

_**ATTACK RIDE: INVISIBLE!** _

Olga nearly jumped out of her skin at the announcement, looking wildly around her as if some beast was going to attack her. It was only when she realised that not only was she safe, but the previously gawking staff members were now completely ignoring her, that she allowed herself to relax again.

"…Apologies Fujimaru. This entire debacle was far beyond anything I was expecting. Having Chaldea sabotaged from the inside, ending up in this weird body, Lev… it all still seems like a horrific nightmare." Olga said as they resumed their walk. "once we return to my office, then we can start to get everything back under control. Take back control. Fix this horrible, horrible mess…"

"Director!" Gudako cried as she threw her arms out, only just managing to avoid a face-full of feathers as she caught her superior's comatose body.

A curse, or the closest thing Gudako was willing to utter, passed through the orange-haired girl's lips. She should've expected this from the start, or Dr Roman should've at least, being an actual doctor. Being killed by a beloved friend, forced to live as some strange eyeball contraption and then fused with a spirit when under normal circumstances, Olga should have no affinity for Heroic Spirits; anyone put under such stressful situations would react the same.

That didn't make lifting Olga any easier, nor did it make the journey to Olga's office any shorter. Still, if Gudako considered it as extra strength training, then the burden was somewhat more bearable. Fortunately, her invisibility continued to prevail, many blissfully unaware of the incredibly slow and awkward girl marching beside them. That little blessing was more than enough to get the two back to the office without any major issues.

Watching the director's sleeping body, Gudako couldn't help but wonder what the future held. Unlike Mashu, who seemed to be a proper human who had received an upgrade from whatever spirit inhabited her body, it had been confirmed that Olga had lost her physical form. Yet if Sougou and Tsukasa really got what they want, if they managed to destroy the world and rebuild it as it once was, what happens then? Would Olga have lost her life in some other manner? Would Chaldea even exist? There was so much uncertainty that Gudako felt her head was about to explode.

if they could stop whatever caused the incineration of humanity, then the world would be restored to normal _as they knew it now_. However, they had no way to verify that the worlds Sougou and Tsukasa planned to create were at all similar, for better or for worse. What if their new worlds brought about worse dangers? They made a miscalculation and ruined humanity? They were powerful, for sure, but that didn't make them infallible. Though Gudako wanted to trust in them, trust in the thought that they were recreating the world without the chance for catastrophes like this to occur…

the idea of not existing, or of being something different to what she was now, terrified Gudako.

"Senpai…" Gudako didn't react to Mashu's voice not even when the lilac haired girl tenderly sat down beside her. "Dr Roman has been speaking about a potential lead. We may be able to take the first steps to save the world."

"Cool." Came the absent, reply, the orange-haired girl's eyes still locked firmly onto Olga's body. "I'll make my way to the command room in a moment. Just need to get my head straight."

But Mashu didn't move, not much. Gudako startled slightly when she felt the hand wrap around her arm, closely followed by the rest of Mashu's body snuggling closer. They didn't speak for a minute, Mashu voluntarily and Gudako, because she struggled to find the words.

"Things have changed a lot. I'm still trying to get my head around it all." Mashu commented uncaring when Gudako failed to reply. "These powers I have, what has happened to the world, what _will_ happen to the world. None of this should be possible, but it is. It's a little bit frightening."

"…Only a little bit?" Gudako tried to joke, a weak smile appearing on her face. It was more than enough for her junior, however, a brilliant smile coming from Mashu.

"Yeah, only a little bit. Because even if things are starting to go crazy, I still have Dr Roman, the director and you to fall back on." Continued Mashu, gazing up to the room's light as if it held the radiance of the sun. "Part of me kind of wants to hide in a corner, let everyone else try and save the world. I'm just… me, I'm not strong enough to help deal with something as huge as the incineration of humanity. Tsukasa and Sougou seem to so much stronger; why would they need someone like me when you're being helped out by them? But then I remember everything that Dr Roman has done for me, the determination you had when we were going through Fuyuki…I wouldn't be able to look at myself if I sat back while everyone was doing their best! I'm your Servant after all!"

For a girl so meek to begin with, the aura now emanating off Mashu caught Gudako off guard. It was something beyond words, a sensation that had Gudako's hand gradually curling into a fist. Blinking in confusion as a tear first fell, Gudako didn't notice the momentary concern that passed through her junior. It was only when a blush came over Mashu that Gudako's head was properly returned to earth, Mashu stumbling over her words.

"I-I mean, I suppose that as your Servant, th-that's kind of expected of me, right? S-so you can also depend on me, Senpai! I w-won't just be a burden on you!"

It was a slow, burgeoning sound, barely even noticeable at first. A sound of confusion came out of Mashu when she felt Gudako tremble, only for the giggles slowly bubbling out of her master's throat to grow more and more evident. Mashu's smile returned full force when she saw Gudako wipe a tear from her eye, her melancholic expression becoming more positive by the second.

"Thank goodness. I can't do much, so I wasn't sure how to cheer you up." Mashu remarked abashedly unprepared for the hand that suddenly landed on her head. "Senpai…?"

"Thanks, Mashu. You've done more than just cheer me up." Gudako softly replied, bringing the Diendriver into her hands as she stood up. Responding to Mashu's confusion with growing confidence, the orange-haired girl paused just before the door, amber eyes glowing with a new flame. "I can't afford to be scared. People are relying on me, the billions of people who live on this planet are relying on me and everyone else to bring them back to life. No matter how scary the situation is, I won't let them down."

At that moment, with the harsh glare of the corridor shining through the doorway, Gudako appeared like an angel.

* * *

"…Tsukasa. Moping in a cave isn't going to help anyone. You'll need to work with them eventually."

Tsukasa let out a small scoff at his junior rider's comment, continuing to gaze out towards the burning landscape, leaning against the wall of the cave. Not necessarily a pleasant view, but one similar to many Tsukasa had come across, if what he'd implied to Sougou was truthful at any rate. Regardless, it was now probably the most peaceful area you could travel to, Chaldea naturally rather hesitant to waste resources just to travel to such an isolated and resource-less cave. Besides, without some measure of protection from the timeline alteration.

"I'm helping, aren't I? I'm training that Gudako girl how to use Kaito's driver." Was Tsukasa's dismissive answer.

"You know that's not what I mean." Sougou retorted, refusing to back down at the scowl forming on his mentor's face. "You can't keep playing the lone wolf as you did before. We only got through the last battle with the help of Woz, Geiz, Tsukuyomi and everyone else. this time is no different, even with Oma Zi-O's powers."

"Look, Sougou, _we_ don't have to do anything for them! Once this whole mess is sorted, they won't even remember that we exist!" Tsukasa interrupted with the voice of a lion, Sougou's collar clenched tightly in his fist as the teen was pulled eye-to-eye with him. "If we searched hard enough, we could find those singularities they're talking about and deal with them ourselves. You've got enough power to destroy and recreate entire timelines!"

"And it's still not enough!" was the teen's angered reply, just as fierce if not even more so than Tsukasa's cries. It was enough to make the older man release his grip, though not enough to sway his mind from the look on Tsukasa's face. "If it was enough, then we wouldn't be stuck in this situation, would we!? There's something greater than what we know, something that we can't handle ourselves. Those guys, though? Even if they might not have the power _right now_ , they have the tech and the knowledge to do something about the situation. We combine our powers and maybe, just maybe, we might actually be able to get things done!"

"And helping train one of their people isn't me helping out? Training one of their people to use the powers they shouldn't be able to use, shouldn't have to use, I add." Tsukasa questioned in return. "I'm doing my part, but we're not there to be buddies. This is a temporary partnership, one where they need us far more than we need them. Unless they have some special tool to fix this whole mess, I don't see why I need to put the effort in. besides, if you did need my powers, you have them as well, Mr Demon King."

"…It also means I can see your entire past, everything that you have ever done Tsukasa." Sougou said, his voice reduced to a dangerous whisper. Those words alone caused Tsukasa's eyebrows to raise, Sougou stepping back and dusting himself off with elegance. "A king cannot rule without the support of those he's meant to rule over. That means taking duties onto himself _as well_ as accepting help when it's necessary. You should know about ruling, considering your stint as the leader of Shocker."

It was a low blow, but a necessary one. A louder growl escaped Tsukasa as he reached towards his waist, one step away from transforming. The only reason why a rider battle didn't begin was that Sougou abstractly refused to, his arms held behind his back as he stepped towards the mouth of the cave.

"You're letting yourself be swayed by the death of your friend. Do you think this is what Kaito would want you to be like? Moping around refusing to help make the world a better place?" the brunette questioned, though refused to look at Tsukasa' face as he did so. "Those who fight to safeguard and assist the general populace. Heroes who fight in the darkness to protect humanity. Those who'll accept death as many times as it takes to protect the world. That is what a Kamen rider is Tsukasa, that is the promise that you made when you called yourself Decade! Your anger is keeping yourself from upholding that promise and you're the only one who can change it! A rider's power is meant to protect people. If you don't care about helping Chaldea protect the people, then you might as well fully surrender your powers to me."

One flash of a golden gate later and Tsukasa was left alone to brood. At one time, he would've been less affected by Sougou's words. When he first began his journey, even Tsukasa couldn't deny that he was a callous man, a man who could put on a face of geniality for sure, but a callous man none the less. It was only once he continued interacting with the Kamen riders, the riders that came after him, and fought alongside them when people could say he was a true Kamen rider. Now, the thought of returning to how it was before… it wasn't as if he was going to cry over it or anything, but it was somewhat annoying. He didn't need the hassle of becoming an evil dictator and destroying worlds without reason was only fun for so long.

"…tch, next he'll be saying I come from the world of Amazonz." Tsukasa muttered to himself as a dimensional wall appeared before him. "Well, guess I don't have a choice, do I? Might as well take a little detour before heading back. Pretty sure France is nice at this time of year."

On the computer systems of Chaldea, a signal was found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As of this chapter, this story has reached the same stage it is in on Fanfiction.net. From now on, new chapters will be uploaded at the same time on both sites.


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